Following the Presidential election in Russia, PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos today made the following statement:
"Some minutes ago, the polling stations in the so-called 'elections' in the Russian Federation closed and the exit polls announced the projections. And there was little surprise in the outcome of this exercise. In fact, we have all known this result for months. Vladimir Putin reconfirmed yet another term in office.
These elections have no legitimacy. There were no genuine alternative candidates, no free media, no credible observers present. Civil society has been silenced. And above all, this election has also been conducted on the illegally occupied and annexed territory of Ukraine. All political opposition has been brutally suppressed, and any critics of the regime are either imprisoned or have been forced out of the country. And tragically, the most vocal and popular opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, was murdered in prison one month ago after being subjected to torture and inhumane treatment for months.
There cannot possibly be any free and fair elections in such circumstances. Mr Putin clearly lacks any vestige of democratic legitimacy.
This has been confirmed by our Council of Europe Venice Commission, which has found that the procedure to grant Putin yet more terms of office violated Russian constitutional law and contravened long-established international legal principles.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe unanimously urges the international community to no longer recognise Putin's legitimacy as president. We call on them to cease all contact with Putin, except in the pursuit of peace and for humanitarian purposes, for example in organising prisoner exchanges or to bring home the lost children of Ukraine.
The overwhelming power of Putin, exacerbated today by his extremely long term in office combined with the lack of any checks and balances such as a strong parliament, an independent judiciary, free media and a vibrant civil society, has sadly turned the Russian Federation into a de facto dictatorship.
This is not what the Russian people deserve. They do not deserve either the mockery of an election which we witnessed today.
The Parliamentary Assembly will continue to support the development of an alternative vision for Russia as a peaceful, free, democratic and accountable country which poses no threat to its neighbours and its own citizens. We will step up our support to the Russian democratic opposition who share the Council of Europe principles and values, human rights defenders, independent journalists and free civil society. We will stand by all those who dare to fight for freedom in Russia, who condemn the war of aggression against Ukraine and fully recognize its territorial integrity.
Freedom and democracy will prevail in Russia!"
