France: 'Unfair' to compare EU's judicial system to that of Russia - Sassoli on Assange case

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President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli said it was unfair to compare EU’s treatment of Julian Assange to Russia’s handling of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Sassoli made the remarks at a press conference following the award ceremony of the 2021 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Navalny, in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Due to the absence of Navalny, the ceremony at the EU Parliament was attended by Leonid Volkov, chief of staff for Alexei Navalny’s campaign for the 2018 Russian presidential election and Navalny’s daughter, Daria Navalnaya.

Founded in 1988 the Sakharov Prize is awarded each year to those fighting for human rights. The previous year saw the €50,000 ($59,000) prize awarded to the movement opposing Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s election victory in 2020.

SOUNDBITES:

SOT, David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament (Italian): “This year the choice of Alexey Navalny for the Sakharov award is what the Sakharov award aims to represent: all those who fight to defend freedom, democracy. At the moment, the conditions of Alexey are serious. He is detained unfairly. This Sakharov award today is also to say that the European Parliament firmly demands the immediate and unconditional release of Alexey Navalny.”

SOT, David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament (Italian): “We are not like Russia. The European, the Western countries are not the same. They do not have the same judiciary system as Russia. Certainly a freedom of information cannot be put in discussion, but the judiciary authorities of our countries have freedom to decide on this matter. They can do it autonomously and independently. This is very important. therefore, a defence of Assange must be guaranteed. We are not the same. Putting the judicial system of the Russian Federation and the one of the European Union on the same level is unfair.”

Video ID: 20211215-034

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