Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
A European statement issued by the office of Foreign and Security Policy Coordinator Josep Borle and distributed in Brussels on Monday said that in the period from September 8 to 10, regional and local elections were organized in Russia and also illegally in the territory of Ukraine that Russia temporarily occupied.
The European Union strongly condemns the holding of the so-called illegal "elections" in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol and in parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine.
We strongly reject this further futile attempt by Russia to legitimize or normalize its illegal military control and attempt to annex parts of Ukrainian territory, as condemned by the UN General Assembly resolution adopted on October 12, 2022. It represents yet another clear violation of international law, including That is the Charter of the United Nations, and the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The European Union does not and will not recognize the holding of these alleged “elections” or their results. The Russian political leadership and those involved in organizing it will face the consequences of these illegal actions.
These allegedly illegal “elections” took place in Ukraine amid Russia’s forced and unlawful issuance of passports, including to children, forcible transfer and deportation, widespread and systematic human rights violations and abuses, as well as increasing intimidation and repression of Ukrainian citizens by Russia and its specially appointed authorities. Illegal in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
The European Union commends the courage of the Ukrainian population who opposed the sham vote and continues to resist the Russian occupation. The European Union remains firmly committed to supporting Ukraine and its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia must immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
Moreover, the elections in Russia took place in a highly restricted environment fueled by aggression against Ukraine. The Russian authorities have amplified domestic repression by censoring the war and continue to suppress opposition politicians, civil society organizations, independent media, and other critical voices using repressive legislation and politically motivated rulings. This has led to restrictions on civil and political rights, preventing many candidates from running and limiting Russian voters' choice and access to accurate information about candidates.
The EU deplores the continued pressure on the independent Golos Group to monitor elections, including the detention of its co-chair Grigory Melkonyants, and urges Russia to ensure continued election monitoring in Russia, including by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
The European Union continues to call on Russia to fulfill its international obligations regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms and to repeal its repressive legislation.