By Martin Banks - 2nd February 2010
I have to express my consternation at this
Jerzy Buzek
Parliament's president Jerzy Buzek has condemned the arrest of human rights activist Oleg Orlev in Moscow.
Orlev, head of the Memorial human rights centre, and laureate of the Sakharov prize 2009, was among dozens of protesters arrested on Sunday as they demanded respect for the right to free assembly.
Buzek said, "I have to express my consternation at this and call on the Russian authorities to cease this heavy-handed treatment of peaceful demonstrators."
He said it was the second time a winner of the prize had been arrested. On 31 December, 82-year-old Lyudmila Alexeyeva was arrested for "merely for defending the constitutional right to demonstrate freely".
Meanwhile, Buzek started an official two day to France on Tuesday, during which he will attend the plenary session of the National assembly.
He will have meetings with French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Gérard Larcher, president of the senate, prime minister François Fillon and foreign minister Bernard Kouchner.
The Polish MEP said, "I am looking forward to meeting the leaders of one of the founding members of the EU. We are at the beginning of a new era since the Lisbon treaty came into force.
"We need to work closely, European institutions and member states alike, to use these new tools to deliver for our citizens. This is expected of us and this is our obligation.
"It is important for me to have an ongoing exchange of views with the French political leadership on issues of mutual interest and concern."
He added, "The agenda facing the EU is heavy and demanding. I have full confidence that by working together we will achieve our common goal. We want to see an EU which overcomes the crisis, is competitive, creates jobs and leads the global effort against climate change."
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