EP-commissie mensenrechten gewezen op verslechterende situatie in Rusland door lid Pussy Riot (en)

The human rights situation in Russia is worsening, a member of the feminist punk-rock collective Pussy Riot told a Human Rights Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday.

Subcommittee chair Barbara Lochbihler i (Greens/EFA, DE) said "The new restrictive laws impeding the work of NGOs and human rights defenders, an increase in political prisoners and politically-motivated charges, as well as increasing harassment of LGBTI activists in Russia are particularly worrying. The EU must keep human rights at the core of EU-Russia relations and human rights violations need to be more clearly communicated when engaging with Russia".

The Pussy Riot member argued that the human rights situation in Russia was deteriorating, and explained the case brought against her group. She also reported that Pussy Riot's Maria Alekhina was still in prison, on hunger strike, and that her appeals were being denied even though she is the mother of a young child.

Contributors to a discussion on Russia's laws on political prisoners included Karinna Moskalenko, of the International Protection Center, William Browder, of Hermitage Capital Management, and Veronika Szente Goldson, of Human Rights Watch.

In the chair: Barbara Lochbihler (Greens/EFA, DE)

Catch up with the debate (link to the right)