During the EP Plenary session (3-6 April 2017) in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on Russia, the arrest of Alexei Navalny and other protestors, Belarus and Bangladesh, including child marriages. Statements on Russia by Charles TANNOCK (ECR, UK), Soraya POST (S&amp;D, SE), Tunne KELAM (EPP, EE), Authors, and Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development. Statements on Belarus by Petras AUSTREVICIUS (ALDE, LT), Marie-Christine VERGIAT (GUE/NGL, FR), Authors. Statements on Bangladesh by Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT), Ulrike LUNACEK (Greens/EFA, AT), Authors, and Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development..

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EU - Russia (T)

EU - Belarus (T)

respect for human rights in the world (T)

POST, Soraya (S&D, SE)

VERGIAT, Marie-Christine (GUE/NGL, FR)

CASTALDO, Fabio Massimo (NI, IT)

LUNACEK, Ulrike (Greens/EFA, AT)

EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (T)

TANNOCK, Timothy Charles Ayrton (ECR, UK)

MIMICA, Neven (HR, EC)

EU - Bangladesh (T)

AUŠTREVIČIUS, Petras (Renew, LT)

KELAM, Tunne (EPP, EE)

Cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law: extracts from the debates on Russia, the arrest of Alexei Navalny and other protestors, Belarus and Bangladesh, including child marriages

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles TANNOCK (ECR, UK), Author, Following the revelations of corruption against Prime Minister Medvedev and a video published by Alexei Navalny last month, we saw a wave of protest against the government. Largely from the new generation of Russians that wish for a better governed future for their country. The last number addressing to Navalny himself reminds us all the Presidential Elections are looming next year. I encourage the European Union to continue to press for the release of Navalny and to keep up the political pressure in the Council of Europe in response to Trump top convictions we&rsquo;ve seen levelled against Navalny in Russia. Largely aimed to preventing him from standing in the Presidential Elections next year.

SOUNDBITE (English), Soraya POST (S&amp;D, SE), Author, They used to call them the Putin youth, young Russians who have grown up with him in power. They used to say that these youngsters only care about their iPhones. Then came March 2017. Beware Mr. Putin. You need to respect the constitution. You need to realise your political prisoners. On March 2017 will be another winter month that goes down in Russian history.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tunne KELAM (EPP, EE), Author, Russia has the largest gap between the richest and the poorest. 110 individuals around Mr. Putin control 35% of state riches. We demand immediate release of Alexei Navalny and thousand demonstrators. And postponing today's vote would be a betrayal of these courageous citizens.

SOUNDBITE (English), Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development, Opposition leader and founder of the anti-corruption foundation, Alexei Navalny was also detained and sentenced to prison alongside with many other peaceful demonstrators. We believe that the Russian authorities have a responsibility to safeguard the foundamental right for all their citizens, particularly in view to the Presidential Elections next year.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petras AUSTREVICIUS (ALDE, LT), Author, One year old Council conclusions on lifting the EU sanctions was the decision of our good will and expectations. Any positive steps by Lukashenko in reciprocity since then, I find none. Elections since September ricked not a single political prisoners rehabilitated, UN special rapporteur continuously ignored, death penalty never abolished and they keep executing people. Nuclear power plants in Astravets keeps growing in violation to safety standards, merely 50 km away from the EU capital of Vilnius. As we speak, around 20 people remain arrested and may become political prisoners. This is how dictators reciprocate.

SOUNDBITE (French), Marie-Christine VERGIAT (GUE/NGL, FR), Author, We have to look at human rights with no double standards. We can't close our eyes to the protection of Lukashenko as friends. We can't have the double standards when it comes to human rights and too often we forget that in the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT), Author, In Bangladesh the young girls who are being married before the age of 18 is 52% of girls, and 18% are married at an even younger age. And in most of these cases it is not a free choice of the girl, and it is for this reason in the UN this is seen as a human rights abuse, there&rsquo;s diary abuse, there&rsquo;s rape, there is legitimisation of violence against young girls. And although we know there&rsquo;s efforts made by Bangladesh in recent years to improve the situation, we want to say to the government that their action is not enough and they have to carry on and in a more decisive and determined fashion.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ulrike LUNACEK (Greens/EFA, AT), Author, Just imagine, you are 13,14,15 years old, you have been raped, and then your parents and the courts decide, it would be in the best interest of you to get married to the rapist. That is what this new law in this child marriage restraint bill in Bangladesh allows. This is horrendous and we have to speak out and I am glad that we have this urgency now.

SOUNDBITE (English), Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development, The European Union raised concerns with regard to the Child Marriage Prevention Act which keeps the marriage of all age of girls at 18 but allows exceptions under specific circumstances. Furthermore, the European Union has contributed 6 million Euros to the global UNICEF and UNFPA program on child marriage, which also benefits the fight for child marriage in Bangladesh.