MEPs have said that the removal of organs from prisoners in China could count as a crime against humanity as defined under the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC). On Thursday 5 May, the European Parliament adopted by a show of hands a resolution condemning these illegal practices, which it considers to be persistent and inhumane in China.
Elected representatives are calling on China to sign the Rome Statute in response to allegations of organ removal and to allow independent monitoring, including by the UN Commissioner for Human Rights. Beijing should also comply with World Health Organization (WHO) obligations regarding transparency and traceability of organ transfers, according to the resolution.
MEPs have noted that China has ratified the convention against the use of torture. “The EU-China relationship must be based on respect for these values and the international conventions to which we are party. That is why we are asking that China respects the WHO requirements and the convention against torture”, said Maria Arena (S&D, Belgium).
The European Parliament is also calling on Member States to ensure that their cooperation agreements with third countries in the field of health and research respect the EU’s ethical principles relating to organ donation or the use of organs for scientific purposes.
See the adopted resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/1id (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)