The European Parliament expressed its support for the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people on Thursday 11 March, 10 years after the start of the popular uprising.
In the joint resolution adopted by the S&D, ECR, Renew Europe and EPP Groups (568 votes in favour, 79 against and 37 abstentions), MEPs express their deep concern at the continuing political stalemate and lack of progress in finding a solution to the conflict, recalling that there will be no lasting solution by military means.
Parliament opposes any normalisation of diplomatic relations with the Syrian regime until there is fundamental progress on the ground with a clear, sustained and credible commitment to an inclusive political process.
It also strongly condemns all atrocities and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law “perpetrated in particular by the regime of Bashar Al-Assad, but also by Russian, Iranian and Turkish actors”. It also calls on the Syrian regime to immediately release the 130,000 unjustly detained political prisoners, condemning their conditions of detention.
Parliament also calls on the EU and its Member States to sanction Syrian, Russian and Iranian civilian and military commanders who are “clearly” involved in war crimes. Furthermore, according to Parliament, the European Commission should present an action plan against impunity to better coordinate and harmonise the resources and efforts of Member States to prosecute war criminals in the Union.
Stressing that humanitarian needs in Syria have increased by a fifth in the last year alone and that 4.5 million more Syrians are now food insecure, Parliament considers that humanitarian access must remain a central priority for the EU in Syria and that the additional needs require a stronger financial and political response from the Union. According to the institution the international community must urgently address the unprecedented humanitarian needs of the Syrian people inside and outside Syria.
“Extremely concerned” about the deteriorating humanitarian, health and security situation in the camps in North-Eastern Syria, “which remain breeding grounds for radicalisation”, the Parliament calls on Member States to repatriate all European children, first taking into account their own family situation and the best interests of the child, and to provide them with the necessary support for their rehabilitation and reintegration, as appropriate, in full respect of international law.
See the resolution: http://bit.ly/3qytiWV (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)