First of all, let me begin by saying that I am an optimist by nature. If I look at the scale of history in the long run, I do believe that the arc of history bends towards justice.
Yes, we still have political prisoners. Yes, tragically, we still have torture, detention, unfair trials, and the like, but we have a much greater capacity now to do something about it if we mobilize all the instruments of public advocacy on the one hand and all the instruments of effective private diplomacy on the other. Parliament is really an arena that both bridges public advocacy and underpins the effectiveness of private diplomacy.
I think that parliaments are becoming more engaged. I see that the European Parliament is more engaged, as is the OSCE, and so on. You have important national parliaments, regional associations, and international bodies. The mobilization of parliaments can do wonderful things. I used Shcharansky as a case study then, and I believe it can do the same thing now, and more.