EU-Russia

Commenting on the hunger strike commenced by Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova on Monday, in protest at her detention conditions in Mordovia camp, Green MEP Werner Schulz, vice-chair of the EU-Russia parliamentary cooperation committee said:

"The description of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova's detention conditions is appalling and the fact she saw no other recourse than go on hunger strike is a major indictment of the Russian authorities. It is unacceptable that Russia, as a member of the Council of Europe, constantly violates basic human rights. The European Union cannot stand idly by in the face of these concerns. Given the inability of concerned Western actors to get permission from the Russian authorities to visit Tolkonnikova, the EU ambassador must intervene. The EU must insist on an improvement of the detention conditions at Mordovia. The EU special representative for human rights Stavros Lambrinidis must prioritise this."