Strasbourg, 08/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - The arrest of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was a major topic in the human rights debates which closed the plenary session of the European Parliament (EP) on Thursday 7 April. Parliament also passed resolutions on the human rights situation of Tibetans in Nepal and the imprisonment of opposition leaders in Zimbabwe.
China. In its resolution, the EP calls for the “immediate and unconditional” release of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who was detained by the authorities this week. MEPs see this arrest as part of a “widespread recent crackdown on human rights activists and dissidents in China”. The resolution condemns the living conditions experienced by the families of many recent detainees as well as the increased surveillance and restrictions on foreign reporters.
Nepal. The EP is critical that several thousand Tibetans in exile in Nepal were denied permission to vote in the election of the new Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister) of the Tibetan government-in-exile by the Nepalese authorities in Kathmandu, under pressure from the Chinese Government. The EP resolution calls on the Nepalese government to respect the voting rights and freedom of speech of the Tibetan community and to refrain from preventive arrests.
Zimbabwe. The EP denounces the marked increase in intimidation, arbitrary arrests and disappearances of political opponents of the Zanu-PF party, led by President Robert Mugabe, over the last few months. Accusing national security forces and militias loyal to Mugabe of harassing and raiding the offices of numerous NGOs and political opponents, the resolution adopted calls for an end to the abuses and for the release of all those arbitrarily arrested. Parliament urges the EU to refuse to accept any Zimbabwean ambassador to the EU who is not nominated on the basis of due constitutional process and applauds the EU's dual policy of imposing asset freezes and travel bans on Mugabe loyalists while at the same time providing funding in direct support of the Zimbabwean people and civil organisations. (E.H./transl.rt)