The lower house of the Czech Parliament adopted a resolution according to which the ruling regime in Russia is recognized as terrorist and Russian attacks on the civilian population and energy infrastructure in Ukraine are condemned. The message is posted on the website of the Parliament.
129 out of 156 deputies voted "for" and 14 voted "against".
The deputies refused to recognize the results of the referenda on the "accession" to Russia of the occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions and supported the proposal to create an international criminal tribunal to investigate war crimes of the Russian Federation. The document also says that Russian attacks on Ukraine lead to extensive restrictions or interruptions in the supply of electricity, water or heat, endangering the civilian population.
“The shelling and deployment of military units in the area of the Zaporozhye NPP pose a threat not only to the territory of Ukraine. Direct or indirect threats of the use of nuclear weapons, as well as false and unsubstantiated accusations of Ukraine of planning the use of weapons of mass destruction represent an escalation of tension and a threat to European security.”
On October 13, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) recognized the ruling regime in Russia as a terrorist one, and the country's presence in the UN Security Council as illegal. Later, a similar resolution was passed by the Polish Senate.
In August, the Latvian Saeima declared Russia a state sponsor of terrorism due to violence against civilians and attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine. In May, the Czech Senate recognized the crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine as genocide of the Ukrainian people. The Seimas of Lithuania also recognized Russia as a terrorist state, and the Riigikogu of Estonia, in turn, approved a resolution condemning the war unleashed by Russia and declaring Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
Gleb Bogush, an expert on international criminal law, told The Insider that the recognition of the regime as terrorist does not entail any immediate legal consequences for Russia. He explained that "terrorist state" and "terrorist regime (government)" in international law are two different things.