Poland's Parliament declares Russia 'state sponsor of terrorism'

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Lawmakers in the Sejm, the lower house of Poland’s Parliament, on Wednesday passed a resolution declaring Russia a “state sponsor of terrorism.”

“Russia systematically violates human rights, international law and the United Nations Charter and a number of other commitments, attacks territories of other countries, commits armed attacks, war crimes and genocides and engages hostile economic activities, in particular in the field of energy,” read a statement issued by the Sejm.

The resolution also holds Russia “directly responsible” for the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, which killed 298 people.

It also blames Moscow for the 2010 crash of a Polish Air Force flight in Smolensk, Russia, which killed all 96 people on board, including then-Polish President Lech Kaczynski and other senior Polish officials and NATO military commanders.

According to the resolution, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine “constitutes a flagrant violation of the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force, and is also a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity.”

The lawmakers urged the Polish government to take more punitive measures against Russia and bolster support for Ukraine.

“The Sejm also called on the international community to develop a mechanism for the payment of war reparations to Ukraine and compensation to states, organizations and individuals who suffered losses in connection with the war,” the statement said.