European Parliament to call for release of political prisoners:
Russia 2018 World Cup
The European Parliament will tomorrow call for the release of Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian film director imprisoned in Russia who is currently on hunger strike, and other political prisoners in Russia.
MEPs will vote tomorrow on a resolution on the initiative of the Greens/EFA Group, which is expected to pass with a strong majority.
Greens/EFA MEP Rebecca Harms, comments:
“As the World Cup kicks off, we must not forget those that continue to suffer at the hand of Putin.
“More than 150 people are currently languishing in prisoners for their political views. At the same time, Putin’s government continues to intimidate Memorial and other human rights organisations. This has to stop.
“The World Cup cannot be used as a shiny distraction from the Russian regime's devastating human rights record. Europe must condemn this abuse and remain united on sanctions against Russia.”
The Greens/EFA Group, in cooperation with the human rights organisation Memorial, is calling on FIFA to push for the release of more than 150 political prisoners in Russia and to link the selection of future host countries to their respect for human rights. For more info, see: https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/russia2018/
