EDITORIAL
Craven Europe, We condemn you!
No sooner had we recovered from our revulsion at Europe’s cowardly decision to censor Georgia’s Eurovision song entry than we were overcome by an even more profound disgust over the Council of Europe’s failure to take any action against Russia for refusing to ratify two crucial human rights protocols in the organization’s charter. In fact, until Russia agrees to be bound by these basic constraints of civilized nations, it should be summarily booted out of the Council and condemned as the barbaric banana republic that it clearly is.
The Moscow Times quoted Luc van den Brande, who monitors Russia’s compliance with its commitments to the council, as saying: “I do not like sanctions. It is important that Russia is not marginalized.” van den Brande had nothing more than “hope” to offer Russia’s vast population of human rights victims that the Russian Duma would act on the measures. His exact, and hopelessly bizarrre comment: “I have a feeling that there probably is more common understanding.” A feeling? Is this what we have to look forward to from the Europeans?
Russia is the only country in the Council that has not ratified the two provisions, which restrict the use of the death penalty to times of war and mandate reforms for the European Court of Human Rights that would streamline its processing of Russian cases, which constitute the lion’s share of its workload. The MT reports: “Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the Duma’s International Relations Committee, criticized the protocol as ineffective. ‘It has many shortcomings and won’t lead to real reform.'”
Once again, as it has done so many times in the past, Europe is appeasing its dictators and facilitiating their rise to power. How many times must Americans watch this nauseating process unfold, only to be called upon at the 11th hour to save Europe from self-destruction at horrible cost?
La Russophobe 
Surely Russia’s “vast population of human rights victims” is much better off having access to a Court where they can seek real justice – even if, because of Russia’s veto on reforms, it is an unstreamlined one – rather than none at all? (which would be the practical effect of booting Russia out). As you acknowledge, Russian cases constitute “the lion’s share of the Court’s workload”. By insisting on a symbolic sanction, aren’t you depriving those thousands of Russians of any hope of justice?
It’s symbolic justice. Victims are not paid (the Court can’t force Russia to pay) and they often face reprisals (some even get murdered).
A few examples of people killed for lodging the ECHR complaints:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakub_and_Aiubkhan_Magomadov
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zura_Bitiyeva
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umar_Israilov
Robert, as usual, well said and well done.
The Russians are well known for punishing those who try to get justice for the crimes comitted by the Russian state.
With the Gray Communist Cheat and his minions, the United States now have a worse leadership than Europe.
You made me google “Gray Communist Cheat” and I’m still confused.
Robert,
Israilov was actually complaining against Kadyrov and was probably killed by Kadyrov’s henchmen. While the methods of Kremlin and Kadyrov are very similar (neither stops from murdering opponents), the interests are quite different. They are coopeting gangs.
Felix that is a good answer, and to take it further. Kadyrov is on the Kremlin payroll to keep things quite in Chechnya. His minions however perform double duty. Some will go out into the woods with the mujaheddin when the payroll is late. Just a little shakedown to be a part of Russia.