Brussels, 18/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 17 July, the European Parliament called on the Sudanese authorities to protect the religious identities of minorities. It also expressed concern at the increasingly severe clampdown and physical attacks on media and civil society in Egypt. Lastly, it called for the immediate and unconditional release of the Chibok schoolgirls in Nigeria.
The EP adopted three resolutions:
Sudan - the case of Meriam Yahia Ibrahim. MEPs call for the repeal of all legislation that discriminates on grounds of gender and religion in Sudan and for appropriate health care for all pregnant women and women in labour in detention. They highlight that adultery and apostasy should not be considered crimes at all and call on the Sudanese government to investigate and prosecute those responsible for human rights abuses. The European Union should also “play a leadership role in pushing for a strong resolution on Sudan at the next Human Rights Council in September 2014, which is to address the serious and widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the country”, states the EP.
Freedom of expression and assembly in Egypt. The MEPs are deeply concerned about “a series of recent court decisions in Egypt, including the lengthy jail terms handed down on 23 June 2014 to three Al Jazeera journalists and 11 other defendants tried in absentia, as well as the confirmation of death sentences against 183 people” in Egypt. The Egyptian President should “act without delay (…) to ensure that no death sentence is executed” and that no one can be detained in Egypt without a verdict issued in a court procedure that meets the requirements of the free and fair trial. The MEPs regret “the existence of media and web censorship”, the worsening violence against women and the criminalisation of LGBT people expressing their sexual orientation and right of assembly.
The EP adds that the member states should have a “common strategy towards Egypt” and that the EU should work actively on the basis of the principle of “more for more” (principle of conditionality). The MEPs call for an “EU-wide ban on the export to Egypt of intrusion and surveillance technologies which could be used to spy on and repress citizens”.
Recent attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria. The Parliament is “extremely concerned about Boko Haram's active targeting of women and children as part of its bloody guerrilla campaign” and condemns the “flagrant violation of fundamental human rights” of Boko Haram's prohibition on access to education for children. The reports of forced conversions to Islam and the imposition of Sharia law is another source of great concern for the MEPs. They call on the Nigerian government to “recognise and respect freedom of the press and media and to allow journalists and reporters access to the front lines”. They urged the EU to “work with the UN and other international partners to cut off funding for, and restrict the movements of, Boko Haram and, in particular, their leadership”. (LC)