On Thursday 16 February, the European Parliament called on Kuwait and Bahrain to implement a moratorium on the death penalty with a view to abolishing it.
In a joint resolution from the EPP, EFDD, ALDE, S&D, GUE/NGL and Greens/EFA groups which they adopted, MEPs ask these two Gulf countries to sign and ratify the second optional protocol to the international covenant on civil and political rights, which is aimed at abolishing the death penalty. The governments should "immediately" deliver an invitation to the special UN rapporteur on torture so that he might visit their countries, the MEPs add. They would also like a dialogue and initiatives to be set up between the EU, its member states and the Gulf countries, especially on human rights issues.
As regards Bahrain, the MEPs call for the suspension of execution for Mohammed Ramadan (see EUROPE 11484) and Hussein Moosa, and for a new trial to be held upholding international standards. Th EU should speak to the government to ask, on the one hand, for the release of human rights campaigner Nabeel Rajab (see EUROPE 11589) and people detained for the sole reason of peacefully exercising the freedom of expression and assembly, and on the other hand, for the end to the excessive use of force against demonstrators or to the arbitrary practice of revocation of nationality (see EUROPE 11588), the MEPs add. They also want the government of Bahrain to implement fully implement the recommendations of the report from the independent committee of inquiry, the universal periodical review of the UN and of the national institute for human rights. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)