The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe proposes directing frozen Russian state assets to compensate Ukraine and Ukrainian victims following decisions by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in inter-state cases.
This is stated in the text of the resolution approved by the PACE.
The Assembly emphasized that Russia owes over 3.3 billion euros for unpaid compensations as per the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. Russia continues to ignore its legal obligations, refusing to comply with the Court’s decisions and cooperate with the oversight mechanisms of the Council of Europe.
In its resolution, PACE called on member states and observers to take concrete steps to address this situation. The Assembly also urged adapting national laws to allow for the implementation of the Court’s decisions at the local level.
Additionally, PACE appealed to its members and the EU to impose personal sanctions against those responsible for serious human rights violations documented by the ECHR, including violations of the right to life, torture, and slavery, and to apply universal jurisdiction.
Other demands of the resolution include preserving all case materials against Russia, protecting the personal data of illegally deported Ukrainian children, and providing complete information about them through a special international mechanism.
- The European Commission currently does not consider finding new ways to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s benefit a top priority. In Brussels, efforts first focus on identifying Ukraine’s actual financial needs.
- According to the Financial Times, the European Commission seeks a mechanism more acceptable, particularly for Belgium. In this country, Euroclear holds most of the frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank in Europe.
Photo: PACE
