PACE recognizes Putin’s illegitimacy as Russian president and ROC as propaganda tool - resolution.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stated in its resolution that it considers Russian President Vladimir Putin illegitimate, and recognized the Russian Orthodox Church as an instrument of Russian influence and propaganda.

According to Censor.NET, this was reported by a member of the Verkhovna Rada's permanent delegation to PACE, Yevheniia Kravchuk (Servant of the People faction).

"The PACE resolution on Navalny's death has been turned into another powerful document supporting Ukraine and condemning Putin's aggression! Members of the assembly have just adopted a resolution on the death of Alexei Navalny and the need to confront Vladimir Putin's totalitarian regime and his war against democracy. 87 votes in favor. (...) The assembly called for officially recognizing the illegitimacy of Putin as president of the Russian Federation... recognizing the Russian Orthodox Church as an instrument of Russian influence and propaganda that has nothing to do with freedom of religion and expression," Kravchuk wrote on Facebook.

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According to Kravchuk, the PACE resolution emphasizes that since coming to power, Putin has been building a regime aimed at waging a war against democracy and reshaping the European and world order established after the collapse of the former Soviet Union.

"The Assembly reaffirmed that under Putin, the Russian Federation has become a de facto dictatorship... The document recalls that Putin has been in power continuously since 2000, and the amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation adopted in July 2020 and recognized as illegitimate by the Venice Commission and the Assembly allow him to remain in office until 2036," Kravchuk said.

She noted that PACE also called on EU member states to strengthen the sanctions regime against Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, as well as against the Lukashenko regime in Belarus.

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In addition, according to the People's Deputy, the resolution calls on EU member states to create an international mechanism for compensation for victims of Russian aggression against Ukraine, to which frozen Russian assets should be immediately transferred, as well as a special tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

The resolution calls on states to ensure that Russia is held accountable for the systematic use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment suffered by thousands of prisoners in the Russian Federation, including Ukrainian political prisoners illegally detained in Russian prisons since 2014, as well as Ukrainian prisoners of war.

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"In addition, the Assembly emphasized that according to international humanitarian law, Russian oil refineries should be considered legitimate targets of military attacks," Kravchuk added.