The European Parliament on Thursday 8 July condemned Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty, particularly for juvenile offenders, despite the country’s declaration that it has abolished executions of minors.
According to the joint resolution of The Left, Greens/EFA, Renew Europe, ECR, S&D, and EPP groups, adopted by 661 votes in favour, 3 against and 23 abstentions, there are currently at least 40 detainees at risk of execution in Saudi Arabia, at least nine of whom were minors at the time of the offences for which they were convicted, including peaceful critics of the government.
Parliament calls on the Saudi authorities to review the cases, with the aim of commuting their sentences or offering them a fair retrial that does not result in a death sentence.
They also call on Riyadh to immediately and unconditionally release all human rights defenders, peaceful critics, and activists, including Sakharov Prize winner Raif Badawi, who has been in prison for 9 years.
In addition to supporting the adoption of EU sanctions against the perpetrators of serious human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, Parliament believes that all EU exports of mass surveillance technology and other dual-use goods to the country should be suspended.
See the resolution: https://bit.ly/3AFl0CF (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)