During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (18-21 January 2021), David SASSOLI, EP President, makes his opening remarks before the debates. He mentions the concern on Navalny's arrest in Russia, and he remembers the events that took place in Vilnius on January 13th 1991, when Russian troops attacked a human chain at the TV tower in Vilnius provoking 14 deaths and more than one hundred injured. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

plenary session

EU - Lithuania (T)

EU - Russia (T)

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

keynote speech

foreign affairs and security policy (T)

Resumption of session and order of business: opening remarks by David SASSOLI, EP President, on Alexei Navalny's arrest in Moscow, and on January 13, 1991, bloody events in Vilnius

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, Good afternoon, colleagues. Thirty years ago, on the 13th of January, in 1981, 14 civilians were killed and hundreds were injured due to Soviet attacks on the Vilnius television tower.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, Lithuanians were defending their freedom and independence. They were defending their democracy and the rule of law. They were defending our European values and now we would like to pay homage to all of those citizens who defended those values with their lives and honoured fundamental values.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, We are extremely concerned by the arrest of Alexei Navalny when he returned to Moscow yesterday. Europe has saved his life and we'd like to thank the German authorities for having helped him. We would urge the Russian authorities to release Mr. Navalny. His detention represents a violation of human rights and we support him. We would like to see him here in the European Parliament very soon. Thank you.