EP adopts resolution urging Russia to free Sentsov, Kolchenko, Savchenko, Kohver

In the resolution, MEPs urged Russia to release the aforementioned persons and to guarantee their safe return to their country of origin. They also call for the release of all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens, including Nadia Savchenko, in line with the agreed Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements. The parliament "strongly condemned the blatant violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and Estonia through the illegal kidnapping of citizens of both countries so that they could be charged before a Russian court". It stressed that the Russian courts "are not competent to judge acts committed outside the internationally recognized territory of Russia." MEPs urged the President of the European Council and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy "to come up with a comprehensive policy strategy which would enable the EU to regain the initiative and to pursue a more clear-cut policy towards Russia". In it s resolution, the European Parliament asked the Council "to establish a common EU list of the officials responsible for the abduction, illegal detention and sentencing of Eston Kohver, Nadia Savchenko, Oleh Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko, to impose and implement an EU-wide visa ban on these officials, and to freeze any financial assets that they, or their immediate family, may hold within the EU". The parliament also reiterated its rejection and condemnation of Russia's annexation of Crimea and stressed, in this regard, that Russian courts have no jurisdiction on acts taking place outside the internationally-recognized borders of Russia.