Anna Politkovskaya was a leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin (courtesy photo) (Courtesy Photo)
October 25, 2006 -- The European Parliament has urged EU member states to give "serious thought" to their future relations with Russia.
In a strongly worded resolution, the parliament today called for democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression to be placed at the core of any future agreement.
The parliamentarians voiced their concerns over what they called the increasing intimidation, harassment, and murder of journalists, and other people critical of the Russian government.
The resolution follows the October 7 killing of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya in Moscow, which is widely believed to be linked to her work.
The text is not binding, but is used as a form of political pressure by the EU's only elected body.
(AP)