PACE Unanimously Recognized Putin as a Dictator
During the current autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), members supported a resolution officially recognizing Russian President Vladimir Putin as a dictator and his regime as a dictatorship, as reported on the PACE website.
The corresponding resolution received unanimous support with 43 votes from PACE members.
Additionally, PACE issued several significant statements, notably regarding the process of amending the Russian Federation's constitution, which allows Putin to remain in power until 2036. The Assembly acknowledged that the concentration of power in the hands of the Russian President and the lack of checks and balances had effectively transformed the country into a de facto dictatorship.
PACE called for the recognition of Vladimir Putin as illegitimate after the conclusion of his current term and urged countries to cease all contacts with him, except for humanitarian purposes.
The Assembly also called upon member states of the International Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement to arrest the Russian dictator when he falls under their jurisdiction based on an arrest warrant.
On September 12, the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights expressed concern over amendments to the Russian Constitution, which grant President Putin indefinite rule. The committee cited the amendments passed in July 2020, including the removal of term limits for the presidency, which effectively allow Putin to remain in office until 2036, when he will be 83 years old.
The military aggression by Russia against Ukraine and its consequences highlight that dictatorships "pose a threat to international peace and security, as well as the territorial integrity and political independence of neighbouring states," noted the committee. Thus, the restoration of democracy is essential.
As previously reported by The Gaze, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly recognized Russia as a terrorist state, and the European Parliament passed a resolution supported by 494 MEPs, designating Russia as a sponsor of terrorism.