[JURIST] Russian human rights activist Sergei Kovalev on Wednesday urged the European Union (EU) [official website] to hold Russia accountable for human rights violations, in a speech after receiving the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought [official website]. Kovalev, joined by Oleg Orlov and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, accepted the award [press release] on behalf of Russian human rights group Memorial [advocacy website, in Russian]. Addressing the European Parliament [official website], Kovalev said that ignoring sensitive human rights issues [text] would only harm Russia, continue human rights abuse, and impair European values. Kovalev accused the EU of not making full use of its unity to pressure Moscow to resolve the human rights violations in Russia:

[Europe] should act towards Russia just as it does towards any other European country that has taken on certain obligations and has a responsibility to meet them. Alas, today, Europe increasingly rarely formulates its recommendations to Russia in the area of democracy and human rights, sometimes even preferring not to mention them at all…It is Europe's duty not to remain silent but, again and again, to repeat and remind, and insist respectfully and firmly that Russia meet its obligations.