7. Meanwhile, the Assembly notes that the anti-war movement in the Russian Federation has not beeneradicated. Instead, it has gone underground. Russians who oppose the war have adapted their activities tothe current situation, so that they can continue some forms of anti-war dissent, without exposing themselvesto immediate arrest and indefinite imprisonment.

8. The Assembly reiterates that the persecution of individuals with an anti-war stance gives rise to multipleviolations of the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5), to which the Russian Federation wasstill bound until 16 September 2022, and to breaches of other international human rights treaties to which theRussian Federation is party, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

9. There has similarly been a widespread repression of anti-war protesters in Belarus. Credible reportssuggest that, against a backdrop of generalised political repression in the country, more than 1 600 peoplehave been detained for their anti-war stance. Most of these detentions occurred in the immediate aftermath ofthe full-scale invasion, when anti-war protests were brutally dispersed. Subsequently, even the smallestexpressions of sentiments against the war have been met with prosecution, often through the application oflegislation on “extremism”, the terms of which violate international human rights standards.

10. Many Belarusians have taken a stand through actions such as disseminating information about militarymovements or infrastructure, damaging railway tracks to prevent movement of military equipment andpersonnel, or sabotaging military installations. These actions have been met with a manifestlydisproportionate reaction, through prosecutions under terrorism charges.

11. The Assembly is shocked by the numerous credible reports of torture being inflicted upon individualswith an anti-war stance in Belarus, alongside other repressive measures such as months in punishment cells(without any blankets, clothes, books, or amenities), refusals of access to medicine, and other forms of ill-treatment. The use of incommunicado detention, whereby political prisoners are completely cut off from theoutside world, has become particularly common. This is an incredibly cruel and inhumane practice, punishingnot only the prisoner but their loved ones too.

12. The Assembly draws a distinction between on the one hand the Governments of the RussianFederation and Belarus and on the other, the people of these two countries. In this respect, it expresses itssolidarity with the many Russians and Belarusians who speak out against the war of aggression, recognisingthat they do so in a context of severe repression and that they risk serious personal consequences.

13. The Assembly therefore calls on the Russian Federation and Belarus to:

13.1. cease the threats, intimidation and prosecution of individuals who have been targeted due totheir anti-war stance, and ensure the immediate release of those who are in detention;

13.2. pending their release, ensure that the conditions of detention of all such prisoners are compliantwith international human rights law (including access to adequate medical care, and contact with theirlawyers, families and others);

13.3. ensure that prisoners are not subjected to torture or ill-treatment, that any such allegations areinvestigated promptly and effectively and that perpetrators are prosecuted;

13.4. reverse the measures taken against media and civil society organisations which have beensubjected to closure, liquidation, website blocking, or registration as “foreign agents” or “undesirableorganisations” as a result of perceived anti-war activities;

13.5. repeal the laws enacted with the purpose of repressing anti-war sentiment;

13.6. implement relevant recommendations and decisions issued by international organisations ofwhich they are member States, such as the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and human rights treaty bodies which are competent to deal with individualcommunications against them.

14. Furthermore, the Assembly calls on the Russian Federation to:

14.1. adopt without delay effective general measures to address the structural and systemic problemsidentified by the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers of the Council ofEurope with regard to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and theright to liberty in the Russian Federation, including by repealing or amending relevant legislation, suchas the laws on “foreign agents”, “undesirable organisations” and those designed to censor discussionabout the war in Ukraine;

II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 4 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

48