mr president today president buzek announced the winner of this year's sakharov prize
this prize embodies freedom of thought an essential european freedom and right we stand for on behalf of our citizens and across the world
in response to the nobel peace prize award president buzek called firmly on china to release liu xiao bo and said freedom is not a threat but the threats to freedom can be many
this also goes for the people who defend human rights in the northern caucasus
last year's sakharov prize awardees oleg orlov sergei kovalev and lyudmila alexeyeva of memorial have not been able to pick up their award personally as their freedom is threatened
the eu invests tremendously in eu-russia relations and we are joined through the council of europe and the osce
russia has thus committed itself to protecting and promoting human rights and the rule of law but what a long way we are from that situation
intimidation of journalists and civil society activists prevails disappearances of human rights defenders happen systematically and there is no freedom of expression including on the internet
the absence of the rule of law has led to twenty zero cases pending at the european court of human rights from the russian federation
russia has the right to fight terrorism in the northern caucasus but if the rule of law is not upheld this has a counter-productive effect on stability
there really is no excuse for russia not to comply with its own commitment to human rights
we look forward and will see to it that the representatives of memorial have the freedom to come to this parliament thereby symbolising the freedoms and rights that all citizens in the northern caucasus enjoy
