The Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports that a special debate dedicated to Russia’s political prisoners is going to take place on June 5 at the European Parliament.

Members of the Russian Opposition are planning a photo exhibition focusing on the harsh actions of Russian police during the May 6, 2012 Bolotnaya Square protests. In addition, they will present MEPs with a report setting out a different version of events at Bolotnaya Square from that supplied by the Russian authorities.  They will also raise the situation with regard to the ‘foreign agents’ law and the crack-down on NGOs.  

The article further suggests that the European Parliament will propose a resolution condemning the Russian authorities and speculates that the problem of political imprisonment in Russia will be raised at the Russia-EU summit.

The debate is organised by the ALDE Group in the European Parliament. The Group’s speaker on Russia, Kristiina Ojuland, noted that it was due to be dedicated to Mikhail Khodorkovksky, who will have spent ten years in prison by October 2013.  However, she said that Russia’s political climate had deteriorated to such extent that she believed it was now no longer possible to focus on just one individual and issue. It is likely that the debate will also focus on the possible introduction of Europe’s own “Magnitsky list” – an issue frequently raised by parliamentarian at the EU.

Read the full article in Russian here.