It didn’t receive much attention in the media. More or less at the same time the most important European liberal Guy Verhofstadt, undisputed leader of the ALDE Group - the 3rd biggest group in the EP, offered in Moscow a helping hand to the Conference of the Russian opposition, Russia’s ministry of foreign affairs published a 66-page report that blamed the EU for xenophobia, racism and neo-Nazism.
The report says the European Commission and member states play lip service to human rights abroad but are reluctant to tackle problems at home. It mentions Lithuania, Poland and Romania suspected of harbouring secret CIA prisons in the early 2000s and obstructing independent investigations (for instance by the Council of Europe) in the allegations. The report also lists member states that have not signed up to key human rights multilateral treaties.
For instance Ireland and the Czech Republic, it says, do not participate in a convention against child prostitution, child pornography and sale of children. Attacks and discrimination against minority groups, drop in press freedoms and growing anti-immigration sentiment are cited. The report also analyses member states individually. For instance Denmark is mentioned, breaching international legal norms by refusing to provide asylum to refugees from Afghanistan. I bet the EU will ignore the Russian report in these days of euphoria about the Nobel Peace Prize…
By: N. Peter Kramer
