Brussels, 12/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - At the initiative of two French MEPs from the EPP Group - Rachida Dati and Michèle Alliot-Marie - 53 MEPs called on High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini on Thursday 6 November to take action against the sentence condemning Asia Bibi from Pakistan to death. “Can the high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy tell us what urgent diplomatic initiatives the EU intends to take with Pakistan so that an act of leniency might be taken for Asia Bibi?” ask Dati and Alliot-Marie in a written question. They are backed by EPP colleagues from France, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Portugal, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Beligum, the Czech Republic and by the chair of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, Elmar Brok. An emergency resolution could be presented at the Parliament's plenary session at the end of November.
Bibi was sentenced to death in 2010 for blaspheming against the prophet Muhammad, after drinking from a fountain reserved for Muslims. The sentence was upheld by the High Court of Lahore on 16 October. Bibi denies this blasphemy.
“This very emblematic affair requires broad international mobilisation, where the EU can play a leading role. The European Union has the duty of mobilising in order to defend the values of tolerance and of freedom of religion everywhere in the world”, the MEPs state in their written question.
On 12 November, the European External Action Service (EEAS) had still not replied to EUROPE's questions sent on 7 November regarding the EEAS' action to save Bibi. (CG)