COE: TAGLIAVINI REPORT ON RUSSIA-GEORGIA; DEATH PENALTY

C O N F I D E N T I A L STRASBOURG 000024

SIPDIS

ALSO FOR EUR/ERA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/8/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM COE FR GG RS
SUBJECT: COE: TAGLIAVINI REPORT ON RUSSIA-GEORGIA; DEATH PENALTY

REF: STRASBOURG 23

CLASSIFIED BY: Vincent Carver, CG, Strasbourg, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
SUMMARY
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1. (U) Russia and Georgia traded barbs at the COE October 7
over the Tagliavini Report, with the Russian Ambassador calling
on the COE to end debate on the consequences of the war. In
light of the "European Day Against the Death Penalty" -- October
10 -- the COE Chair (Slovenia),the Swedish EU Presidency, and
several national delegations called on other countries,
including COE observer states, to abolish the death penalty.
End summary

RUSSIA, GEORGIA, AND THE TAGLIAVINI REPORT
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2. (U) The Russian Ambassador stressed to the Council of
Europe's Council of Ministers' Deputies (resident ambassadors)
October 7 that the Tagliavini Report on Georgia's "large scale
military operation" demonstrated that Georgia had misled the
COE. Russia, he added, cannot agree with all of the report's
conclusions; he called for military experts to study the
accusation that Russia had used disproportionate force. The
Georgian Charge retorted that Russian forces had illegally
entered Georgian territory before August 7. Russia, he
underscored, must meet the demands of the international
community, including those of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (ref). He asked, "What should a democratic
state do when military forces from another country enter its
territory?"


3. (C) Resorting to his usual aggressive tone, the Russian
Ambassador stressed, "I dare all of you to read the EU report."
He added that it is time for the COE to end its discussion of
the consequences of the war. Russia also criticized the
previous week's Parliamentary Assembly's discussion on
challenging the Russian delegation's credentials (ref). He
accused some parliamentarians of using credentials as "a
political weapon" and said Russia wants to build a united Europe
without dividing lines. Comment: The Russian Ambassador
continues his relatively successful tactic of warning that any
criticism of Russia by COE bodies will escalate into a crisis
for the COE; most COE member states are, in response, tempering
their criticism out of fear that Moscow may one day actually
fulfill its tacit threats and suspend participation in at least
some COE bodies.

DEATH PENALTY: CALLING FOR UNIVERSAL BAN
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4. (U) The Slovenian Chair introduced a discussion of the
European Day against the Death Penalty (October 10) by noting
that the COE continues to urge Belarus to issue a moratorium on
the use of capital punishment as a condition for Belarus'
eventual membership. Slovenia stressed that a dialogue must
also continue with observer states (U.S. and Japan) on this
issue. National leaders must demonstrate political courage and
not be guided by opinion polls, she added, with an ultimate goal
of universal abolition of capital punishment. The Swedish EU
Presidency, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Norway, and Portugal made
similar interventions.

OTHER ISSUES
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5. (U) The deputies noted that the Parliamentary Assembly will
have approximately 40 observers in Ukraine for the January
presidential election. The Serbian Ambassador stressed that
representatives "from the so-called Kosovar Parliament" at the
Parliamentary Assembly's Political Committee had been invited as
"visitors.

CARVER