PACE recognizes Russia as dictatorship
PACE recognizes Russia as dictatorship (Getty Images)
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed concern over the legitimacy and legality of amendments to the Russian Constitution that have allowed dictator Vladimir Putin to remain in office until 2036, according to the PACE.
The PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights raised concerns over the legitimacy and legality of amendments to the Russian Constitution made in July 2020. These amendments, including removing presidential term limits, have allowed President Vladimir Putin to remain in office until 2036, when he will be 83 years old.
"The overwhelming power of the President resulting from the 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 turned the Russian Federation into a de facto dictatorship," said the parliamentarians.
Unanimously approving a draft resolution based on a report prepared by Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), the committee recalled the findings of the Council of Europe Venice Commission that "term limit waiver for the incumbent President violates both the Russian constitution and international legal principles."
Furthermore, they added that Russian aggression against Ukraine and its aftermath demonstrate that dictatorships "constitute a threat to the international peace and security and to the territorial integrity and political independence of their neighbours."
Given this, the restoration of democracy in Russia aligns with the interests of both the country's people and Europe as a whole, as well as the rest of the world.
Finally, the committee reaffirmed its support for the future ad hoc international criminal tribunal to hold the Russian leadership, including President Putin, accountable for their actions, starting with the illegal annexation of Crimea, the war in the Donbas region and the downing of flight MH17.
Background
In the summer of 2020, Russia held a vote on amendments to its Constitution. One of the key provisions was that Putin's previous presidential terms would no longer be counted, allowing him to run for re-election in 2024 and potentially remain in power until 2036.
However, Russian opposition media outlets reported thousands of invalid passports being used in the voting process, and some online voters were registered in the remote voting system twice. As a result, the constitutional amendments were purportedly supported by 78% of Russians.
