On June 2, 15 NGOs plus 33 scholars and well-known activists have written to the US Secretary of State, to ask him to start a procedure to have the UN ECOSOC’s consultative status of the organization FECRIS withdrawn. It’s a very rare request based on the fact that affiliate associations of the FECRIS, a French “anti-sectarian” umbrella organization, has engaged in the Russian anti-western propaganda for years, and continued to support the Kremlin in ominous ways at the beginning of the war against Ukraine. We reproduce here the content of the letter followed by the list of signatories, which includes 15 prominent Ukrainian scholars.
Dear Secretary Blinken, We write as an informal group of organizations and individuals who are religious and secular leaders, human rights advocates, practitioners, and scholars to respectfully urge you, as a member of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) at the United Nations (UN), to request the withdrawal of consultative status that is currently held by FECRIS (the European Federation of Centres for Research and Information on Sects and Cults) with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
This letter is a multi-faith initiative of the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Roundtable, a multi-faith, inclusive (of all faiths and beliefs), equal citizenship forum that has proven it is possible to engage cooperatively and constructively across deep differences and increase mutual understanding, respect, trust, and reliance through joint advocacy actions.
While we hold an extremely broad diversity of theological views and political positions, we all agree on the importance of international religious freedom. It strengthens cultures and provides the foundation for stable democracies and their components, including civil society, economic growth, and social harmony. As such, it is also an effective counter-terrorism weapon as it pre-emptively undermines religious extremism. History and modern scholarship make it clear that where people are allowed to practice their faith freely, they are less likely to be alienated from the government, and more likely to be good citizens. In signing this letter, we have opted into a multi-faith coalition to urge you to strip FECRIS of its consultative status with ECOSOC.
Indeed, per ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31, the consultative status of NGOs with ECOSOC shall be suspended up to three years or withdrawn in the following case:
If an organization, either directly or through its affiliates or representatives acting on its behalf, clearly abuses its status by engaging in a pattern of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations including unsubstantiated or politically motivated acts against Member States of the United Nations incompatible with those purposes and principles.
FECRIS is a French-based umbrella organization that coordinates with member associations in more than 40 EU countries, and beyond. It was created in 1994 by a French anti-cult association named UNADFI and receives all of its funding from the French government (while its member associations may receive funding from their own governments). In 2009, FECRIS was granted “ECOSOC Special Consultative Status” by the UN.
During its history, FECRIS and its members have accumulated a great number of civil and criminal convictions for their actions that defame minority religions and spread hate-speech against them.
From 2009 to 2021, Alexander Dvorkin, head of the Saint Irenaeus of Lyons Center for Religious Studies in Russia, served as Vice-President of FECRIS. Since 2021, he has continued to serve as a member of its board of directors. Dvorkin, on behalf of FECRIS, has been a key architect of the crackdown on religious minorities in Russia and beyond, as he spread his anti-religious propaganda and misinformation to other countries, including as far as China.
Moreover, Alexander Dvorkin has been a driver of the Anti-West propaganda of the Kremlin for years, and directly and publicly attacked the democratic institutions of Ukraine after the Euromaidan protests, accusing them of being members of cults (Baptists, Evangelicals, Greek Catholics, pagans and Scientologists) being used by Western secret services to harm Russia.
Further, Dvorkin and other members and correspondents of the Russian FECRIS have been involved in the constant propaganda, which prepared the ground and justified the current war in Ukraine, as a war against Western decadence and a war to protect Russian spiritual values.
During the first four weeks of the war in Ukraine, Russian FECRIS associations have been actively supporting the war and openly working with Russian law enforcement agencies to gather information on anyone who would oppose it or even just share information on the casualties in Ukraine.
At the same time, Russia has enacted a law that established a jail sentence of up to 15 years for any person “discrediting the armed forces,” which includes speaking of “war” instead of the official Russian term, “special military operation.”
Until now, no discipline has ever been taken against Dvorkin and/or Russian FECRIS associations for their actions that spread propaganda and catalyze discrimination and persecution of religious communities.
It is known and understood that FECRIS has known about the ideology and actions of its Russian members for years, and has continued to support them, nonetheless. FECRIS as an entity must be held accountable for the activities of its Russian member associations for the following reasons:
While FECRIS has been alerted about the outrageous ideology and actions of Alexander Dvorkin and Russian member associations for years, it has kept Dvorkin on its board of directors, which elected him twice as Vice President, and has supported the associations all along, having never taken any disciplinary actions against any of them.
In fact, FECRIS has been actively coordinating as an entity with Russian authorities to trigger the crackdown on religious minorities since as far back as 2009—the same year it was granted “ECOSOC Special Consultative Status” by the UN.
The mere ideology and methodology of FECRIS, as a constant, is to use authoritative governments to trigger crackdowns on religious communities it stigmatizes as sects or cults, with no regard to their human dignity, liberty of conscience, and other fundamentals human rights.
In conclusion, FECRIS should be stripped of its ECOSOC consultative status at the UN. Its aims and activities are in complete opposition to the aims and purposes of the UN. Further, Russian FECRIS associates are actively supporting the war in Ukraine.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Respectfully
ORGANIZATIONS Bitter Winter, a daily magazine on religious liberty and human rights Boat People SOS (BPSOS) Campaign to Abolish Modern-day Slavery in Asia (CAMSA) CESNUR, Center for Studies on New Religions Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB) European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF) Gerard Noodt Foundation Human Rights Without Frontiers Jubilee Campaign USA The All Faiths Network UK The Center for Studies on Freedom of Religion Belief and Conscience (LIREC) The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee (OPAC) Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies (UARR) Union of Councils for Jews in the former Soviet Union (UCSJ) INDIVIDUALS Greg Mitchell , Chair, IRF Roundtable, Chair, IRF Secretariat Prof. Alla Aristova, Ukrainian Encyclopedia Eileen Barker OBE FBA, Professor Emeritus, London School of Economics Prof. Alla Boyko , Institute of Journalism, Shevchenko University of Kyiv – Ukraine Keegan Burke, DC branch director Alliance of Religions Prof. Yurii Chornomorets, Drahomanov University – Ukraine Anuttama Dasa, Global Director of Communications, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Soraya M Deen, Founder, Muslim Women Speakers Nguyen Dinh Thang, PhD, Laureate of the 2011 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award Prof. Vitalii Dokash, Vice-President, Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies (UARR) Prof. Liudmyla Fylypovych, Vice-President Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies (UARR) George Gigicos, Co-Founder and Chairman, The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee (OPAC) Nathan Haddad, Coordinator, OIAC (Organization of Iranian American Communities) Lauren Homer, President, Law and Liberty Trust PhD Oksana Horkusha, Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Massimo Introvigne, Editor in Chief, Bitter Winter, a daily magazine on religious liberty and human rights Ruslan Khalikov, PhD, Member of the Board, Ukrainian Association of Researchers of Religion Prof. Anatolii Kolodnyi, President, Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies (UARR) PhD. Hanna Kulagina-Stadnichenko, Secretary, Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies (UARR) Larry Lerner, President of Union of Councils for Jews in the former Soviet Union (UCSJ) PhD Svitlana Loznytsia, Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Prof. Raffaella Di Marzio, Managing Director, Center for Freedom of Religion Belief and Conscience (LIREC) Hans Noot, President, Gerard Noodt Foundation Prof. Oleksandr Sagan, Vice-President, Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies (UARR) Bachittar Singh Ughrha, Founder and President, Center for defence of human rights Prof. Roman Sitarchuk, Vice-President, Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies (UARR) Rev. Dr. Scott Stearman, UN Representative, Baptist World Alliance Prof. Vita Tytarenko, Grinchenko University – Ukraine Andrew Veniopoulos, Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman, The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee (OPAC) PhD Volodymyr Volkovsky, Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Martin Weightman, Director, The All Faith Network Prof. Leonid Vyhovsky, Khmelnytsky University of Law – Ukraine Prof. Victor Yelenski, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Former member of the Ukrainian Parliament Honorary Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Latvia files a declaration of intervention in the proceedings under Article 63 of the Statute
THE HAGUE, 22 July 2022. Genocide – On 21 July 2022, the Republic of Latvia, invoking Article 63 of the Statute of the Court, filed in the Registry of the Court a declaration of intervention in the case concerning Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation).
Pursuant to Article 63 of the Statute, whenever the construction of a convention to which States other than those concerned in the case are parties is in question, each of these States has the right to intervene in the proceedings. In this case, the construction given by the judgment of the Court will be equally binding upon them.
To avail itself of the right of intervention conferred by Article 63 of the Statute, Latvia relies on its status as a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”). It states that “[a]s a Party to the Genocide Convention, Latvia has a direct interest in the construction that might be placed upon that treaty in the Court’s decision in the [proceedings”, indicating that it “wishes to intervene in order to make submissions on [the] construction of the Genocide Convention on issues relating to merits as well as jurisdiction”.
In accordance with Article 83 of the Rules of Court, Ukraine and the Russian Federation have been invited to furnish written observations on Latvia’s declaration of intervention.
Latvia’s declaration of intervention will soon be available on the Court’s website.
The history of the proceedings can be found in press releases Nos. 2022/4, 2022/6, 2022/7 and 2022/11, available on the Court’s website.
Note. The Court’s press releases are prepared by its Registry for information purposes only and do not constitute official documents.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946. The Court is composed of 15 judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). The Court has a twofold role. first, to settle, in accordance with international law, through judgments which have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned, legal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and agencies of the system.
Orthodoxy and Statehood – Policy Report of the Head of the Holy International Synaxis of the True Orthodox Churches, the Head of True-Orthodox Church in Russia, His Holiness Metropolitan Seraphim
It is well known that the following paradigmatic statement has been perceived by the Russian, orthodox people, so to say genetically, since the very moment of the baptism of Rus’ and up to the present day: «Moscow is the Third Rome, and there will be no Fourth».
This claim is categoric and, essentially, very true.
During the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, the above-mentioned statement gained some transformation in understanding or, to sound more correct, acquired a new meaning in addition. It became easier in perception, yet it preserved its categorical sense: «Orthodoxy – Autocracy — Nationality». These are three statements, unified in themselves and impossible to be sustained one without the another. At least, it concerns our state.
Of course, there have been some certain attempts to substitute notions, through over the long history of our Fatherland. Moreover, even up to elimination of one or two conceptual parts away from the philosophical triad under discussion. But it did no good. Even more, all these false transformations, into which the statehood turned during the time of experiments, could exist only for a short period and broke down into pieces, like a house of cards in the wind, without completeness of the wise maxim.
History itself demonstrated that there are undeniable truths, on which the identity and self-consciousness of entire nations are being based, and which toughly fix the grounds of autocracy for centuries and thousands of years ahead.
Thereupon Russia seems to be the absolute proof of such autocracy, as it possesses an outstanding power based on antiquity of the nation and fulness of its faith. Yet, because it was precisely Great Russia that has become the Spiritual Center of our planet for real, while retaining its status of the Third Rome, which prevents the world from facing the total lawlessness.
Our long-suffering Fatherland has gone through essential dramas for the present 120 years.
The revolutionary turmoil in 1905 was the first sign of the coming vague time. The attempt of forceful overthrow of the legal government in order to change the current political system, as well as empty slogans and unsubstantiated statements – this all twisted minds of the Russians. Basing myself on historical experience and on the practice of international relations of nowadays, I am pretty sure that these events were thoroughly planned from the outside even then. It was the first serious try to destroy a mighty stronghold of spirituality and the purity of Orthodoxy in troubled and uncertain world of vice and temptation.
Then follows an absolutely unnecessary and useless, at least from our point of view, participation of the Russian Empire in the First World War, in which the members of Entente tried their best to destroy the Russian army, our economy and our state from inside, by means of total and unlimited sponsorship of all possible oppositional and destructive parties, terroristic organizations, criminal units and anarchic groups.
It resulted in the February Revoluion of 1917, abdication of the sovereign, and thereafter in October putsch, which led to atheism, accompanied by attempt to destroy the spiritual pivot in the once great Orthodox Empire.
Revolutionaries encouraged by the West managed to weaken the age-old Power. However, in order to build something new they required a sacrificial victim. Yet, not just a victim but the Victim with a capital V. It was necessary to destroy the very symbol that represented itself the true sense of being of the Russian people. There was a certain need for a challenge to God, furthermore a need for trampling the soul of Russia.
The Bolsheviks, in fact, were not even atheists. They were outright theomachists! Covered by pride, they considered the true sense of their life to be a total annihilation of Orthodoxy as religion and oblivion of the very memory of God and His Commandments.
Even the words of the ancient Jews could not frighten them: «Let His blood be on us». They were not scared of the sacrilege of a considerably awful scale. They would do absolutely anything, guided by the hate of God and Orthodoxy Russia.
The choice of the sacrificial victim was pretty clear to them.
In their opinion, it was Russian Emperor. However, not only him but all his royal family, all members of the Imperial House, — any of them whom the bloody hand of the mad overthrowers could only reach.
The crime was committed.
The Empire collapse was imbued with blood of the royal martyrs, and the execution of the tsar’s family put an end to that historical period of time, what resulted in strict separation between the great past and the unclear future.
I dare not, unlike some others, compare even in my mind the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ for the atonement of our sins with the sacrificial death of the last Emperor as the anointed of the Lord. Still, I discern a few parallels between what happened two thousand years ago and that what was committed by the crime — not so long ago – in 1918.
However, the things did not turn out as the enemies of Orthodoxy had planned.
Namely by means of the Sacrifice of the Lord, the world survived and people got a chance to witness the Kingdom of Heaven.
And by the sacrifice of the Emperor his people were saved from annihilation, as well as the hope for revival of the Great Empire in the future was also preserved.
But I am deeply upset by the fact that in the latter case, just like in the former one, people failed to understand the whole greatness of the Sacrifice.
Just like in case when the persecutors of Jesus did not repent, the murderers of the tsar’s family have not confessed yet. And the followers of them have taken upon themselves a terrible sin of the regicide.
Unfortunately, we still can’t find sincere repentance. Because even in church we face hypocrisy and theatricalization of mysteries.
We keep on humbly begging God to give us an Orthodoxy Sovereign, yet I am not sure if our voice will be heard within all this bacchanalia of sin and vice. Still, I have hope in my heart…
There exist a lot of prophesies of the so-called «end times». All of them tell about an inevitable bloody outcome.
But in many of them Russia plays the key role as the state which possesses a chance to save the rest of the world and the humanity.
For example, the Prophesy by monk Abel, given to Emperor Paul, openly declares that there would take place a lot of attempts to vanquish evil by means of evil. But people would understand that it was only a temporary measure and they would start to pray for Russia. With the help of the entire world, all peoples, with one mouth and one heart. And the shackles that hold the Great Empire will fall down, and Great Russia – the House of the Most Holy Mother of God – will rise up full of its spiritual beauty and strength.
I am eager to believe that there is a certain piece of this prophesy concerning our True Orthodox Church. Because who is going to be that tocsin to wake the people up from the age-old sleep, calling up for pray and showing the way from darkness to light?
Loving heart is always regained by us through good deeds. I have said about that many times before. So, I will repeat the same thing now.
The essence of the True Orthodox Church is to serve God by serving people, by caring about them, by guiding each soul from the countless Lord’s flock.
It has always been like that in Russia. And I hope it will be the same in the entire world, with the help of the Holy International Synaxis of the True Orthodox Churches which I am to head till the rest of my days and which is supposed to bring the Light of Truth and Love of God to people, what reveals the real meaning of His Great Sacrifice.
I often ask myself: «What do I need this all for?». I address this question not only to myself but also to those who have stayed by me all these years, as well as to those who come today and perhaps will come tomorrow.
And I know the answer.
Christianity, rather Orthodoxy, cannot stand loneliness. Neither it can stand isolation within oneself and one’s problems. It is longing for cognition of one’s own self, growing and spreading among those who haven’t yet accepted God in their heart and mind but have already turned to God in their soul.
Today we face roaming and chaos within the Orthodox world which calls itself canonical. Churches are separating from one another. They are tearing the Lord’s garments in a bloody madness, they discontinue communication and stop their common praying, they deny each other and call enemies all those, with whom they have been recently taken the Holy Sacrament together by the Throne.
Religious hierarchs are intentionally neglecting to the words of the Symbol of our Faith, to everything on which the doctrine of the international Church is being grounded, and what we keep on repeating every time we dare start acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ: «I believe in a single Holy Cathedral and Apostolic Church». As I see it, they are consciously replacing the Truth by their momentary wishes, by their enormous pride and unstoppable hunger for power.
To my great sadness, some of the «canonical» churches are becoming more and more similar to totalitarian sects, concerned about their wellness and prosperity of their own religious leaders of various scale.
However, those who have ears – let them hear, those who have eyes – let them see.
God’s people learned to distinguish between the good and the bad, to separate lambs from goats and wheat from chaff. And they are openly turning away from those who make falsehood and obscenity the meaning of their lives, who drop their serving down to the level of sin, finally who hide their animal bared teeth under a lambskin.
Moreover, as soon as the world Orthodoxy was directed towards disunity and mutual accusations, the True Orthodox Churches, on the contrary, are joining one another to build a family.
It’s been 25 years since I started my episcopal service to the church. During this time I have had an opportunity to watch the formation, development and collapse of many True Orthodox communities, which used to call themselves metropolis and churches. Every time I saw the same thing and the same mistake, which finally became fatal. All of them considered themselves only to be the ultimate truth, and they all wanted to be chiefs, without acceptance of other authorities and separating themselves from the rest of the world. They enjoyed their existence within self-isolated religious communities.
In the end, it resulted in collapse, termination of activity or rebirth into real sects and marginal units.
Those who were open to dialogue, were longing for unity and who put first their serving to God and people – today they have become the true conscience of people, the voice the spiritual candlestick, the real hope for that God will stay by us till the very end.
Our International Synaxis is the way forward, the way to God, the way of spiritual creation and true faith.
This is the way of consolidation of those who dismiss lies and injustice with their lives, who believe in a single Holy Cathedral and Apostolic Church, as it is stated in the Symbol of Faith, and who help building the International True Orthodox Church by means of ascetism.
You can take it from me: this way is predestined by the history and predetermined by God. We feel it and we are ready to go through any difficulties, as we clearly realize that it was like that and it will be like that further.
Those who disjoin, hate, deny and are self-isolated – they all lose themselves in nothingness, they turn into garbage and stay forever at the historical dump, just to display with their own example the depravity of such a mistaken way.
Those who strive to meet each other, who open themselves to love and common praying, who are not scared of difficulties of the thorny path and who follow Christ’s Commandments – they all stay forever, as they become the cornerstone, upon which The Church of Christ is grounded.
Well, we have a long road ahead. It will be the way of prayer and creation. The way of love and spiritual feat. The way of serving and church building. And I am sincerely glad that the revival of the True Orthodoxy, just like a century ago, starts from Russia again.
I must say once more. I have read a plenty of prophesies, well known and absolutely unknown, manifested to the world and hidden from anyone who seek for them with hunger and greed. They all are totally different and not each of them is supposed to go under comprehension and understanding.
Still, there is one statement that is a cross-cutting theme in all of them.
Salvation of the world will come from Russia. As the Star of the East, Russia will unite all those who are filled with faith, light and love.
Precisely under the canopy of the Russian Royal Crown comes the long-awaited «peace on earth and goodwill toward men» as Russia symbolizes the Crown of the Queen of Heaven, our Most Holy and Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
Our common task is as follows: let our descendants and successors continue our path of creation, union and gathering the True Orthodoxy around the world, and let us lay a solid foundation for that by means of The Universal True Orthodoxy Church.
Today I can feel with all my soul those changes happening in the society and state of Russia.
The consciousness of people is being renewed, the moral background of the Russian citizen is being strengthened, the Orthodox faith is being filled with true sense, and there is the Lord’s spark that lightens up in the heart of everyone.
I hope so much that one day The Russian Orthodox Church which is dominating now in the Russian state will realize that its target is a little different from care about itself and its clergy, its institutions and profit. Anyway, it’s not our business.
However, let no one judge us by the deeds of Moscow Patriarchy. We are totally different from them. We do not welcome conviction of brothers. We do not stand for disorder and separation in the Orthodoxy world.
We follow the path of creation and union.
Our main goal is to bring love and peace, by means of protecting from sins, misfortune and temptations for the soul of those who shares with us and accepts our path.
We have chosen not an easy burden, indeed.
But… as they say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Let our all-good Lord help us about that.
Humble +SERAPHIM
His Holiness and Blessed Metropolitan
Of Moscow and of all Russia
The Head of the True Orthodox Church of Russia
The Head of the Holy International Synaxis
Of the True Orthodox Churches
N.B. N.B. As a branch of the Local Russian Church organizationally began its formation in the end. 20s – early. 30s 20th century It was formed as a result of the refusal of the majority of the episcopate and clergy of the Russian Church to cooperate with the communist atheistic regime in the USSR, which was done by the pro-renovation group headed by Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky). As a result of what Mr. Sergius under the leadership of the OGPU-NKVD schism, in the USSR since that time there existed in parallel the official (“Soviet” or “red”) church, which in 1943, by order of Stalin, was formalized into the “Moscow Patriarchate”, and independent of the God-fighting regime of the True- Orthodox Russian Church (TOC). The latter, as a result of cruel repressions and persecution, was forced to switch to an illegal way of serving, which is why she got a different name – the Catacomb Church.
The Catacomb Church, as a branch of the once united Local Russian Church, is also called “Tikhon’s” – after the name of the Holy Patriarch Tikhon (Belavin, +1925).
The canonical foundation of the Russian True Orthodox Church is based on the Decree of the Holy Patriarch Tikhon No. 362 of November 7/20, 1920.
Saint Tikhon was the last legitimate patriarch of the Russian Church, elected by the All-Russian Local Council, expressing the fullness of the Russian Church.
On July 4, Pope Francis announced that he had the intention to visit Moscow and Kyiv as soon as possible. The head of the Vatican is regularly speaking to Ukrainian President Zelensky but would like to visit Putin before heading toward Kyiv. He believes that he might be the neutral agent that could convince Putin to put an end to the war.
On the other side of the line, in Moscow, there are different reactions to this idea. In the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most are in favour of such a visit. Even in the Presidential administration, the reaction is pretty positive, and they view this controversial proposal favourably. But that is not the case within the FSB and the military. There, it is another story, and the intervention of Francis is viewed with at least suspicion and more usually with complete reluctance.
The main actor of this diplomatic move is the head of the World Union of Old Believers Leonid Sevastianov. Sevastianov has access to the Pope and is highly considered by him, and is the one whom the Supreme Pontiff would listen to when it comes to Russia. He is also the one lobbying the Presidential administration in Russia, pushing the idea that the Vatican is the only “neutral” State and then the only one in a position to act as a genuine mediator. Leonid Sevastianov is a strong Christian, who strongly believes that his spiritual mission is to do all in his power to put an end to the war.
But the fiercer opposition is coming from the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) Moscow Patriarch Kirill. Kirill is a strong supporter of the war, and justifies it, as several religious leaders in Russia, by the need of protecting the Christian world from the decadent West corrupted by cults and pagans, a message that is embraced by the Kremlin. His biggest fear is to see the Pope coming into his “territory”, preaching for peace. Even before the war, Kirill opposed the coming of the Vatican’s head, and the reason was then clear: Kirill is poorly considered by the believers, and barely attracts none (or very few) when he publicly appears. If Pope Francis would come to Russia, it’s likely that he attracts thousands of Christians to greet him, which would definitely undermine Kirill’s image in the country.
So Kirill is activating his network behind the scene to prevent Sevastianov to succeed, which is not without risk for the latter. Kirill is a former agent of the KGB and does not back off from dirty tricks to reach his goals. Sevastianov, who in fact is a former colleague of Kirill, and worked for years as the director of the St. Gregory the Theologian’s Charity Foundation, the biggest Orthodox Foundation in Moscow founded by Kirill and Metropolitan Hilarion, has recently declared that the support of the Moscow Patriarch to the war was to be considered as heresy, from a religious point of view. That’s no shy statement by far.
Hilarion himself, who was considered the number 2 of the ROC and was the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, has recently been demoted and sent to a small diocese in Hungary. There is no clear interpretation of this demotion: some say that Hilarion was opposed to the war and was punished for that. Others say that Kirill saw him as a threat as he was in a position to replace him as Patriarch, and some say that it is to have him in a better position to lobby for the ROC on the international scene after Kirill has been sanctioned by the UK, and barely avoided the EU sanctions thanks to the last-minute intervention of Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary.
Nevertheless, if Sevastianov’s diplomacy is a risky one for himself, it is also a steady one. Sevastianov has kept pushing for it since February, gained the support of the Supreme Pontiff and is now making progress in Moscow. Of course, even if he would succeed in getting Francis to Moscow, the big question is will it have any impact on Vladimir Putin? History will tell.
In a time where peace has become more than the lack of war, war has hit what is considered the “civilized” world, there are few who willingly misinterpret the time, context, and text to justify the killing of other human beings, forgetting all lessons learned from history.
What is religion?
Religion is a social and cultural system that includes predetermined behaviours and rituals, morals, world-views, books, holy locations, prophecies, ethics, and organizations. It connects humans to mystical or spiritual components of the supernatural world. Religion is a combination of religious attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours that can be personal or institutionalized.
The different types of religions
There are many religions in the world, but we will only discuss the six major religions in this text. Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Scientology and Hinduism are the 7 of the most known religions. We’ll look at each religion’s scriptural views about peace and the importance thereof.
Buddhism
Buddhism, unlike the first four religions, does not believe in an external God. Buddhists, on the other hand, seek personal enlightenment and adhere to the teachings of Buddha, a former prince who attained enlightenment after renouncing his life of luxury. According to Buddhists, the Four Noble Truths were discovered by Buddha.
Peace, according to Buddhism, is an inner condition of mental tranquillity that flows outward. Attaining a level of inner calm could serve as an example for everyone. Meditation helped Buddha achieve inner serenity, which encouraged him to work for world peace.
Christianity
Photo by Daniele Franchi
Christians adhere to the Christian faith. Christianity is one of the six major faiths. Christians, like Jews and Muslims, believe in one God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They study the Bible and attempt to follow Jesus Christ’s teachings. Churches are where the vast majority of Christians worship.
The Old Testament‘s definition of “peace” largely alludes to completeness, total health, and total welfare. It refers to the totality of God’s benefits bestowed on a member of the covenant community.
This is what the Bible says about peace in its verses. “I leave my peace with you; I give you my peace.” I do not give to you as the world does. Don’t let your hearts be worried, and don’t be terrified. “As a result, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, because we have been justified by faith.”
Hinduism
Hinduism, like Buddhism, is an Indian religion that is not monotheistic. Rather, it is based on a set of traditions and beliefs that were not established by a single person.
Hinduism emphasizes the importance of peace. Because of the eschatological implications, peace is not only necessary within oneself in Hinduism, but it is also extremely important to act peacefully toward others.
Islam
Muslims are people who adhere to the Islamic religion. They believe in the power of Allah, the Arabic word for God, which is another monotheistic faith. Muslims adhere to Islam’s five pillars, read the Qur’an, and pray in mosques.
Peace in Islam is defined as submission to Allah’s will through sharia, Allah’s holy and eternal rule, and the expansion of the Dar al-Islam, or ‘House of Islam,’ to encompass the entire globe. In the absence of sharia, there is no peace. Muslims believe that the only way to acquire inner peace is to completely surrender to Allah.
Judaism
The earliest religious group, Judaism, is the first of these world faiths. Jews believe in a single, all-powerful God who has made a specific deal with people, known as a covenant. To thank God for His protection and direction, Jews devote their lives to following God’s laws.
The Hebrew Bible mentions the well-known commandment to “love thy neighbour as thyself,” which is echoed throughout Judaism’s sacred literature. As a matter of fact, one of the primary concepts of Jewish law is the love of peace and the pursuit of peace.
In Judaism, peace is a very important belief. Jews will greet one another with the Hebrew phrase “Shalom,” which means “peace and happiness.” It evokes feelings of happiness and well-being. Within Judaism, peace between man and God, as well as between organizations and individuals, is highly valued and must be practised.
Scientology
The one that is considered probably the newest world religion due to its fast growth is Scientology, founded by American author L. Ron Hubbard, who is very well known also for his secular work in drug rehabilitation, values and education. It is in one of his fiction books (Battlefield Earth) that we find a very interesting call for Peace.
HEAR ME!!Out of a hell of shot and shell,// Out of this chaos of contention,// Let us bring peace to pointless fight.// Why do we court the whore called war?// Why make of Earth a shattered night?// There is no ecstasy in killing.// Love alone can make man willing.// So hear me warriors, hear me mothers.// There is no pay in slaughtered brothers. Attention, if your sense is fair,// heed that which we now declare.// PEACE! You races far and wide. PEACE!// Abandon your blood-soaked suicide// and now abide in peace!// Echo me!// As in your hearts you yearn for love, not death!// PEACE, we have declared it.// Snarls and strife must be at end!// In peace alone can this Earth mend.// And now find ecstasy in love, love for Earth, for all.// The gods of peace have now spoken.// OBEY!
Sikhism
Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak, is another religion that believes in a single God. Sikhs believe that there is only one God, who is present everywhere and in all things.
They don’t really believe that war is always sinful, but that it should only be used as a last resort. As Guru Nanak, Guru Arjan, and Guru Tegh Bahadur demonstrated, peaceful techniques include discussion and non-violence.
Conclusion
Religious tolerance is an important component of every peaceful community, and religious freedom is a global human right that all countries must protect. It is critical to respect one’s religion. No one should be judged because it is everyone’s right to worship whatever they believe in.
JW World Headquarters (20.04.2022) – April 20, 2022 will mark five years since Russia’s Supreme Court criminalized the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses, liquidated some 400 of their legal entities, and confiscated their houses of worship. Russian authorities have since jailed over 320 Witnesses, with over 80 still in prison.
The systematic persecution has escalated over the past year as prison sentences exponentially increased in frequency and in term length. Several Witnesses have also been tortured or severely beaten either while being interrogated or in prison.
Jarrod Lopes, spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, states:
“It’s well-documented that Jehovah’s Witnesses endured decades of Soviet persecution. Ignoring this history, Russian authorities have inhumanely beaten, tortured, and imprisoned peaceful Jehovah’s Witnesses in a failed attempt to break their faith and eliminate them. Long after the Soviet regime fell, Jehovah’s Witnesses have continued to thrive and they will likewise outlive the current Russian administration.”
Below are the latest statistics as well as some quotes from international experts that you will find helpful if you chose to report on the anniversary of the ban.
April 20, 2017: Judge Ivanenko of Russia’s Supreme Court announces decision to shut down the legal entities of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia and Crimea
2017 Russian Supreme Court Ruling
· The April 20, 2022, Supreme Court ruling, albeit grossly unjust, simply liquidated all of the Witnesses’ legal entities, Local Religious Organizations (LROs), in Russia and Crimea, declaring them “extremist”. During the 2017 Supreme Court hearing, the Russian government claimed that individual Witnesses would be free to practice their faith. However, the government’s claim of allowing freedom to worship has been inconsistent with its actions.
· 1741 homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been raided, almost one per day
o 27 homes raided since February 24th Ukraine invasion
· 620 JWs involved in 289 criminal cases
o This includes 16 JWs in Crimea, 4 of whom are in prison (some after conviction have been transferred to prisons inside of Russia). All have been charged under prevailing Russian law
o Oldest involved in a criminal case is 87.5-year-old Yelena Zayschuk, she is 1 of 6 in their 80’s; there are 34 in their 70’s
· Over 450 added to Russia’s federal Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and terrorists
o Many are placed on the list even before being criminally charged or tried—see Forum18
Beatings and Torture
For example:
· February 2019, Surgut, seven men tortured—suffocated, stripped naked, doused with water, and given electric shocks to their genitals—Link to confirmed report. Video interviews
· February 2020, Chita, one man beaten, choked, and given electric shocks to his stomach and leg—link to report
· February 2020, Orenburg, five men severely beaten in prison, with one man being hospitalized for broken rib and damaged kidney—link to report
· October 2021, Irkutsk, one man beaten while his wife screamed for them to stop, another was tortured—stripped naked, lifted and suspended off the ground by his arms behind his back, attempted to force a glass bottle in anus area—link to report. Video interviews
As if torturing a man and making him writhe in pain isn’t savage enough, many Russian officers will also resort to inhumanely threatening to have his wife raped.
· Why and how successful is it?
o Most often, Russian law enforcement officers have beaten or tortured Jehovah’s Witnesses to force them to divulge information about fellow believers and or bully them into giving up their faith. The overwhelming majority of men withstood the torture and never complied, even with the smallest demands for information. That’s why in most of the criminal cases, the authorities have resorted to planting a mole to infiltrate the congregation and leak the names, contact information, and worship activities of local Witnesses.
What Experts Are Saying
Natalia Prilutskaya, Russia researcher at Amnesty International, call on Russia to:
“to immediately and unconditionally release all Jehovah’s Witnesses arbitrarily deprived of freedom for their faith and to drop criminal charges against all peaceful believers. Those who have been subjected to criminal prosecution, torture and other ill-treatment, unlawful searchers of their properties, who have lost their jobs, must receive adequate compensation and have their rights restored.”
The world should have started paying more attention to prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia already five years ago. Arbitrary prosecution of peaceful believers on spurious charges of “extremism” was and is a litmus test of the lack of freedom in Russia and of the Russian government’s intentions to quash any dissent, anything that they see as a threat to their official narratives. While the world was watching repressions against dissenters being unleashed within Russia, its government was also quietly preparing to promote their world view with tanks and missiles on the territory of the neighboring country, Ukraine. Were there a stronger international reaction to persecutions inside Russia, including to persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the world could have been in a much better place today now. To prevent further escalation, it is important to expose and rigorously respond to human rights violations being committed in Russia. Restoring justice for one of the persecuted communities – Jehovah’s Witnesses – is one of the steps on the long road to restoring human rights and freedom in Russia and ensuring that no more international crisis, like the aggression against Ukraine, could be conceived in the Kremlin.”
Sir Andrew Wood, former British Ambassador to Russia (1995-2000), states:
“It follows that the punishment of peaceful believers on the grounds of their certification as extremists by the Russian Supreme Court in effect by demand of Russia’s current president is arbitrary and unjust. Their arrest, ill treatment, and confinement are a breach of elementary human rights together with the infringement of the freedom of all souls to seek their path to the truths of religion as best they may. The targeting of particularly vulnerable people of whatever gender or age adds to the injustice.”
“The people of Russia and those beyond them share an interest in the country’s future rule under the conditions of natural law. That is essential to its future beneficial evolution. The peaceful pursuit of religion is an essential element of that aspiration, whether in times of war like the present or in less dangerous circumstances. It therefore deserves our support as we hope and work for a better future.”
Dr. Emily Baran, expert on Russia and Soviet history, states:
“The history of Jehovah’s Witnesses, both in Russia and worldwide, makes clear that persecution will not have its intended purpose of eliminating this faith community. What persecution does is isolate Witnesses, subject them to cruel and senseless harassment, violence, and loss of freedom, and make their daily lives full of uncertainty. The Witnesses have demonstrated adaptability before, including in the Soviet period, and will continue to find ways to practice their faith even in these difficult conditions. Russian Witnesses will adapt because they have to, because they feel their faith requires it of them, and because repeated persecution has given them the skills to do so effectively.
More comments by the experts above can be downloaded here.
Russia Exporting Weaponization of Anti-Extremism Legislation
· Russia has been seeking ways to export its anti-extremism legislation, along with how to weaponize it
o May 2020, Putin signed a “Decree of the President of the Russian Federation”—“On Adopting a Strategy to Counteract Extremism in the Russian Federation Until 2025”
§ Section 32 on pg. 16, clearly outlines the President’s goals, in the field of international cooperation:
§ Strengthening the position of the Russian Federation in international organizations whose activity is aimed at counteracting extremism;
§ Promoting in bilateral and multilateral formats Russian initiatives in counteracting extremist activities, including over the Internet;
§ Signing agreements with foreign states aimed at solving problems in the realm of counteracting extremism;
§ Exchanging best practices in counteracting extremism, including cooperating together to develop international legal documents;
o Moscow-based rights advocate Sova Center published a report in 2020 confirming that
“Russian extremist legislation has been and remains the model anti-extremist legislation for Central Asian countries, despite the fact that, in recent years, it has been repeatedly criticized at the international level by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, the UN Human Rights Committee, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Venice Commission, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance of the Council of Europe, and other structures
In a resolution on 7 April 2022 about the increasing repression in Russia, including the case of Alexei Navalny, the European Parliament condemned the role of Moscow Patriarch Kirill in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Item 6 of the resolution states:
(See full resolution at the bottom of the article):
“Condemns the role of Moscow Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, in providing theological cover for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine; praises the courage of the 300 priests of the Russian Orthodox Church who signed a letter condemning the aggression and expressed their grief over the ordeal of the Ukrainian people, calling for an end to the war.”
In parallel, priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate decided to appeal to the Cathedral of the Primates of the Ancient Eastern Churches with a lawsuit against the Russian Patriarch Kirill for “committing moral crimes”. Priests of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine demand an international tribunal for the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill.
The statement of the priests was published by Fr Andrei Pinchuk on his Facebook page.
Excerpt:
“Today, when Patriarch Kirill of Moscow frankly supports Russia’s war of conquest against Ukraine, we, the priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, have decided to appeal to the Council of Primates of the Ancient Eastern Churches with a lawsuit against Patriarch Kirill.
Our main accusations:
1. Cyril preaches the doctrine of the “Russian world”, which does not correspond to Orthodox teaching and should be condemned as heresy;
2. Kirill committed moral crimes by blessing the war against Ukraine and fully supporting the aggressive actions of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine.
We hope that the Council of Primates of the Ancient Eastern Churches will consider our appeal and make its fair decision,”
the appeal says.
See full resolution of the European Parliament below the video.
UATV interviewed on video a priest on the suit against Kirill
UATV, a Russian-language channel of the state foreign broadcasting of Ukraine, addressed to a wide foreign audience and designed “to convey to the whole world objective, relevant and interesting information from Ukraine and about Ukraine the first hand”, launched an interview with a high ranking orthodox priest. The video is presented with the following message:
“Russian World” – an ideology that laid the foundation of Russian hatred of Ukraine. Ukrainian priests of Moscow Patriarchate “filed a suit” to the highest church judicial authority calling to condemn the doctrine spread by the Russian Orthodox Church and its heretical leader – Patriarch Kirill
See the full resolution here:
(if reading the article in our non-English site, find below an automatic translation of the resolution)
Increasing repression in Russia, including the case of Alexey Navalny
European Parliament resolution of 7 April 2022 on the increasing repression in Russia, including the case of Alexei Navalny (2022/2622(RSP))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Russia,
– having regard to the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders,
– having regard to the Constitution of the Russian Federation,
– having regard to the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) Josep Borrell of 28 March 2022 on the Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta,
– having regard to the declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU of 22 March 2022 on the ruling to extend Alexei Navalny’s politically motivated imprisonment by an additional nine years,
– having regard to the statement by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights of 24 March 2022 expressing appreciation for the courageous work of journalists and human rights defenders, including those from the Russian Federation and Belarus,
– having regard to the statement by the Media Freedom Representative of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe of 3 March 2022 on the serious infringement of the right to freedom of expression and media freedom in Russia in the context of the country’s military attack against Ukraine,
– having regard to the statements by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the latest developments in Russia and Ukraine,
– having regard to Rules 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the Russian Federation has repeatedly breached international law and its international commitments and has launched an illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and perpetrated massacres against its citizens; whereas legislative restrictions, media bans, the criminalisation of independent reporting and free opinion, and other political prosecutions have reached a totalitarian scale in recent months, resulting in the disintegration of independent and pluralistic civil space in Russia;
B. whereas the Russian regime has intensified, in an unprecedented manner, its crackdown on peaceful protesters, independent journalists and bloggers, human rights defenders and civil society activists in an effort to silence any criticism of and opposition to its illegal, unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine; whereas thousands have fled Russia due to the drastically increased risk of arbitrary arrest and prosecution; whereas this crackdown has had a devastating effect on the lives and freedoms of minorities, LGBTQI+ persons, women, and all people branded by the government and society as deviating from the behavioural or normative rules and expectations imposed or for criticising the regime and the policies of the Russian authorities;
C. whereas fundamental human rights, including freedom of association and freedom of expression, are enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as in numerous international legal instruments to which Russia has committed itself; whereas the Russian authorities are responsible for years of systematic propaganda campaigns against Ukraine, Europe and liberal democratic values, culminating in the eradication of any vestiges of a vibrant, politically active and independent civil society;
D. whereas since 24 February 2022, Russian authorities have arbitrarily detained more than 15 400 peaceful anti-war protesters across the country, subjecting some to severe ill‑treatment and other human rights violations; whereas more than 60 criminal cases have already been brought since then;
E. whereas numerous laws imposed over the past few years, such as the ‘foreign agents’ law and its variations, the regulation of and adjudication over so-called ‘extremist organisations’ and countless decrees by the regulator responsible for media oversight (Roskomnadzor) have been used by Russian authorities for their concentrated crackdown on independent civil society and media active in Russia, targeting in particular non-governmental organisations (NGOs), human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, as well as women’s rights, LGBTQI+ and environmental activists, and activists of ethnic and cultural minorities; whereas the imposition of all of this legislation, regulation and judicial and administrative burdens is forcing civil society actors to refuse foreign funding, engage in self-censorship and reduce both their public visibility and their activities for fear of state retaliation;
F. whereas on 4 March 2022, the Russian Parliament amended the Criminal Code to impose a penalty of up to 15 years in prison for spreading allegedly ‘fake’ information about the war in Ukraine; whereas on 22 March 2022, the law was broadened to criminalise the sharing of ‘fake news’ about any activities of Russia’s official bodies abroad; whereas on 4 March 2022, the Russian Duma banned demonstrations against the war in Ukraine; whereas the Russian legal reforms have introduced administrative and criminal offences for Russian nationals and legal entities who call for international sanctions against the Russian state, its nationals or any Russian legal entities;
G. whereas Russian authorities have forced several independent media outlets to suspend their activities, close down, or move their activities abroad, while blocking access to others in the context of growing internet censorship, control and isolation, thereby depriving the Russian population of unbiased information about Russia’s war against Ukraine and the war crimes being committed there in the name of the Russian Federation; whereas these include, most notably, the radio station Echo of Moscow, the TV station Dozhd and the newspaper Novaya Gazeta; whereas the authorities have blocked foreign social media in Russia and blacklisted Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, labelling it as ‘extremist’;
H. whereas since the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, hundreds of journalists, human rights defenders, activists and others have left Russia due to the drastically increased risk of arbitrary arrest and prosecution, including after President Putin referred to those standing up against the war as ‘national traitors’ and a ‘fifth column’;
I. whereas on 16 March 2022, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided to revoke the membership of the Russian Federation in the Council of Europe, effective immediately; whereas the Russian Federation, for its part, decided to leave the Council of Europe on 15 March 2022, depriving Russian citizens of the protection enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and denying them access to judicial remedies before the European Court of Human Rights;
J. whereas Alexei Navalny, a Russian lawyer, opposition politician and anti-corruption activist, and laureate of the 2021 Sakharov Prize, was arrested in January 2021 and has been in prison since February 2021, where he has been serving an arbitrary, politically motivated sentence and has been repeatedly subjected to torture and inhumane treatment; whereas the EU has condemned the poisoning and politically motivated imprisonment of Alexei Navalny in the strongest possible terms, imposed targeted sanctions and continues to demand an independent investigation into his poisoning;
K. whereas on 22 March 2022, Moscow’s Lefortovski Court, following an extraordinary session staged in a prison camp and thus outside regular court facilities, sentenced Alexei Navalny to nine years in a maximum security prison and issued him with an administrative fine of RUB 1,2 million (approximately EUR 12 838); whereas this judgment clearly contravenes international law and the Russian Constitution and is as unlawful, arbitrary and politically motivated as the previous judgment;
L. whereas a number of activists have been threatened with or subjected to arrest and prosecution for supporting or working with Alexei Navalny or for supporting his ideas, like the smart voting strategy; whereas they were accused and prosecuted for such support based on the retroactive application of new laws or administrative decisions on the basis of their social media statements, and many of them have left Russia after facing criminal charges; whereas Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation was labelled ‘extremist’;
1. Condemns the Russian regime’s domestic repression, which has worsened in the wake of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; demands that Russian authorities stop the harassment, intimidation and attacks against all anti-war protesters, independent civil society organisations, NGOs, human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, as well as women’s rights, LGBTQI+ and environmental activists in Russia; expresses its solidarity with the democratic forces in Russia committed to an open and free society, and underlines its support for all individuals and organisations which have been the target of attacks and repression;
2. Condemns the neo-totalitarian, imperialist ideological stance cultivated by the Russian Government and its propagandists; emphasises that the assault against democracy and disregard for the rights of other nations has paved Russia’s path towards despotism, international aggression and war crimes; underscores that an undemocratic Russia is a constant threat to Europe’s security and stability;
3. Deplores Russian legislation, including on ‘foreign agents’, the changes to the Criminal Code introduced on 4 March and 22 March 2022, and the Mass Media Law, which are used to engage in judicial harassment against dissenting voices in the country and abroad and to undermine independent media; underscores that these developments are in blatant contradiction with the commitments Russia has voluntarily undertaken under international law and written into its own Constitution;
4. Denounces the continuous and increasing censorship by Russian authorities, including of the internet, and urges them to immediately put an end to their control and censorship;
5. Condemns Russian authorities’ behaviour in persecuting the mothers of Russian soldiers and their established organisations, depriving Russian parents of information on the whereabouts of their children and refusing to cooperate with Ukrainian authorities in order to return the remains of Russian soldiers killed in action;
6. Condemns the role of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, for providing theological cover for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; praises the courage of the 300 priests of the Russian Orthodox Church who have signed a letter condemning the aggression, grieving over the ordeal of the Ukrainian people and asking to “stop the war”;
7. Strongly condemns the imprisonment of the Sakharov Prize laureate Alexei Navalny and reiterates its call for his immediate and unconditional release, as well as of the hundreds of other Russian citizens baselessly detained merely for having the courage to demonstrate in favour of democracy and peace or to improve their rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; calls on the Russian authorities to improve conditions in prisons and detention facilities in order to meet international standards; considers Alexei Navalny’s humanitarian, health and safety situation a priority concern for the EU; calls on the Russian authorities to take all necessary measures to fully secure his rights during his unlawful detention; condemns the fact that the trial against Alexei Navalny did not respect his right to a fair trial and reiterates its call for a transparent investigation into the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, without delay;
8. Considers the repression against Alexei Navalny, his supporters, the media and civil society, all intended as part of a prelude to Russia’s criminal war of aggression, and reiterates that political pluralism and free media are the best safeguards against and obstacles to international aggression by an undemocratic government; considers that our efforts to support freedom of opinion and the media for Russian citizens are an intrinsic part of our efforts to combat the war and aggression in Ukraine;
9. Forcefully condemns the decisions by Russian courts leading to the closure of International Memorial and the Memorial Human Rights Centre, together one of Russia’s oldest and most prominent human rights organisations and a Sakharov Prize laureate; condemns the continued warnings by Roskomnadzor against Novaya Gazeta concerning censorship and alleged violations of the ‘foreign agents’ law, resulting in the newspaper’s announcement to cease operations until the end of the war in Ukraine; equally deplores the Russian Prosecutor-General’s request for Roskomnadzor to restrict access to Echo of Moscow and Dozhd due to their coverage of the war in Ukraine; commends the role played by these outlets, as well as so many other independent organisations and news outlets that have since been closed down, in uncovering the truth and providing facts about the crimes of the Soviet regime and the Russian Government, as well as their commitment to human rights; calls for an end to the systematic repression of journalistic institutions and independent media, which constitute the fundamental pillars of freedom and democracy;
10. Calls on the UN Human Rights Council to investigate in full and as a matter of urgency the abuses of the right to information and freedom of expression perpetrated by the Russian regime;
11. Expresses deep concern over how the crackdown on Russian civil society, human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, sexual and reproductive health and rights activists and LGBTQI+ communities is further exacerbating the situation of already vulnerable and targeted groups in the country;
12. Reiterates that the free and independent work of civil society organisations and the media is a cornerstone of a democratic society; calls on Russia, therefore, to establish a clear legal framework as well as a safe environment for civil society organisations, protesters, media and political actors in line with Russia’s Constitution and international obligations and with international human rights standards, enabling them to carry out their legitimate and useful work without interference; stresses the need to guarantee efficient legal recourse for protesters, civil society activists and journalists whose fundamental rights have been violated;
13. Calls on the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Member States to closely monitor the human rights situation in Russia, to provide emergency assistance and to increase support for the civil society, independent NGOs, human rights defenders and independent media which remain active in Russia, including sustainable and flexible financial assistance; calls on the EU Delegation and the Member States’ representations in Russia to publicly show solidarity with those persecuted;
14. Urges the Commission and the Member States to strengthen protection for the rights and physical integrity of activists, independent journalists and human rights defenders targeted by the Russian authorities’ repression, and to provide them with emergency visas to enable them to leave the country and find temporary shelter in the EU, as well as to allow threatened or banned Russian NGOs and media to immediately continue their work from EU territory if needed;
15. Calls on the VP/HR and the Council to make effective use of the EU’s global human rights sanctions mechanism and impose restrictive measures on all Russian officials involved in the crackdown against independent civil society and media and peaceful protesters, as well as in this latest case against Alexei Navalny;
16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to prevent and counter the spread of disinformation, including propaganda, and strengthen independent media; welcomes, therefore, the development of specific platforms and news in Russian and Ukrainian; calls for EU strategic communications to be improved and for an exploration of effective ways to counter war propaganda originating in Russia from outlets such as Rossija, Channel One Russia and NTV, which disseminate content approving of the war of aggression and misinforming people about it; calls on the Member States, the Commission and the EEAS to continue to enhance alternative online Russian-language information on the unfolding developments to counter disinformation, to continue to ensure that public statements from the EU and the Member States are translated into Russian and to address Russian-speaking audiences and platforms;
17. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to host banned media teams in the EU and to develop a joint platform for media in exile, as well as to support technologies that enable people to use the internet to exercise their fundamental rights, in particular the freedom of information and expression, and to support the pursuit of democracy and the rule of law, by establishing technological means to circumvent communication surveillance and the blocking of websites and applications in Russia, including low-tech via M-waves, a VPN Russia platform, anonymisation networks and satellite TV;
18. Calls on the EU Delegation and national diplomatic representations in Russia to closely monitor the situation on the ground and how trials are handled and to offer those concerned any support that they may need, including direct financial assistance to pay for lawyers and experts; calls on all governments to refuse any future extradition requests for Russian nationals for offences under the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offences;
19. Urges the Member States, the Council and the Commission to secure humanitarian status and create safe migration possibilities for threatened Russian opposition, civil society and media representatives, including securing opportunities for them to enjoy long-term residence and work in the European Union; calls on the Member States to devise a mechanism to protect Russian soldiers who decide to defect; calls on financial institutions, banks, credit card companies and government authorities to introduce screening procedures for the tailored application of sanctions against Russian citizens in the EU in order to allow opposition activists, independent civil society and media representatives to retain access to their financial assets necessary to secure their existence in the European Union;
20. Recalls that academic and cultural collaboration at an individual level, even in times of conflict, may help to strengthen pluralistic voices in anti-democratic circumstances and serve as a basis for facilitating the re-establishment of relationships after the conflict; underlines that the Russian scientific community has been a primary target of repression by Putin’s regime;
21. Stresses the strategic value of the input of Russian academics who oppose the war in order to better analyse Putin’s regime and how to counter it; calls for an EU strategy to allow Russian students and professors to officially continue their studies and work in European universities, particularly in humanitarian disciplines, and to receive their corresponding diplomas;
22. Asks the EEAS, the Commission and the Member States to mainstream human rights and civil society consultation across all dialogues between the EU, its Member States and Russia, and to abide by their commitment to gender mainstreaming;
23. Calls for the EU and the Member States to continue to engage with the people of Russia and with Russian civil society in exile; urges the EU to demonstrate its readiness to support Russian civil society in its efforts to build a democratic Russia, and to welcome a democratic and responsible Russia back into the international community;
24. Calls for the EU to appoint a special envoy for a democratic Russia, who should be responsible for relations with the Russian people, in particular with democracy defenders in exile and those who have remained in Russia and want the country to return to the path of democracy;
25. Calls on the Commission, in cooperation with the EEAS, to help establish and support a Democratic Russia Hub for continuous dialogue with the democratic Russian community, in particular the anti-war committee established by Russian democratic opposition activists, in order to provide direct communication with the Russian people, to develop together with civil society an EU strategy for a future democratic Russia, to improve the integration of new emigrants from Russia through educational programmes, and to organise annual EU summits with democratic Russia in exile;
27. Notes that according to the Levada Center, 83 % of Russians support Putin’s war in Ukraine, while the percentage of Russians who say the country is moving in the right direction has risen from 52 % to 69 %, the highest level ever recorded since 1996; applauds, in this regard, those brave individuals who openly protest and oppose Russian imperialism in its newest form – the invasion of Ukraine – despite the brutality of the rioting policy, as well as media and social pressure; urges EU citizens, nevertheless, not to equate all Russian citizens with the brutal actions of their leadership and military in Ukraine; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support and protect the critical voices within the Russian diaspora who are facing threats from Russian authorities; condemns rallies organised by Russian diasporas in support of the war or in protest against the acceptance of Ukrainian refugees;
28. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the President, Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation.
