PACE Calls Russia to Fulfill Obligations by 2009-End

Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) passed on September 29 a resolution calling on Russia to fulfill its obligations, imposed upon it by PACE’s January, 2009 and October, 2008 resolutions, before the end of this year.

The document, debated earlier on September 29, was passed with 80 to 36 votes.

Unlike the previous two resolutions, which included lists of demands in respect of Georgia as well, the recent one makes major focus on Russia.

In particular, it demands from Russia to fulfill the following steps before the end of this year: giving “unrestricted access” to EU monitors to both South Ossetia and Abkhazia; granting freedom of movement for Georgian civilians across the administrative borders; recognizing “formally and effectively” the right of return of all displaced persons from the August war to their original place of residence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia; initiating “a credible investigation” into acts of alleged ethnic cleansing.

The resolution also calls on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to request the formal opening of an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by either side during and after the war.

The Georgia-related issue will again be discussed at PACE on Thursday, when the Assembly is to debate a request by 72 of its members to reconsider the credentials of the Russian delegation primarily on the grounds that Russia has failed to fulfill the Assembly’s key demands in its two previous resolutions on the August war.

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