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| 16:20:11 | 22-06-2005 | Politics | PACE SUMMER SESSION 2005 |

`RUSSIA IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY’, MENTIONED DAVID ATKINSON

Today PACE continued the discussions of the issue of Honoring of obligations
and commitments by the Russian Federation. The main reporter of the issue
was David Atkinson.

41 delegates are to make speech. `In 1996 the Russian Federation ratified
the historical document according to which he took up a number of
commitments before the CoE, but today the RF cannot be considered a
democratic country’, mentioned Mr. Atkinson at the beginning of his report.

The main reporter mentioned that in the Russian Federation democratic
elections did not take place, the Mass Media is under the control of the
authorities, death penalty has not been eliminated, there are numerous case
of suicide in the army, there is no alternative military service, the RF has
problems with Moldova, Georgia and, which is most important, with Chechnya.
Those who made speech usually referred to the Chechnya problem and reminded
Russia that according to the commitments it has to show humanitarian
attitude towards Chechnya.

The members of the Polish delegation found the issue important proceeding
from the fact that Russia is their neighbor, but expressed their complaint
that the RF does not follow democratic standards, especially in issues
referring to elections and freedom of speech.

The members of the Russian delegation reminded in their speeches that they
are the nation which freed half of Europe from the fascists and they are
part of Europe and as time goes by they will meet all the commitments taken
upon.

By the way, during the discussion of this issue not all the members of the
Azeri delegation were in the hall.