Strasbourg, 09/09/2005 (Agence Europe) - By 82 to 3 with one abstention, the European Parliament approved a resolution of all political groups apart from Independence and Democracy on 8 September, calling on Syria to immediately drop charges on three civil society activists, Hasan Zeino, Yassin al-Hamwi and Muhammed Al al-Abdullah (accused of creating a secret society and due to face a military tribunal) and to immediately release Riad Seif and Mamun al-Humsi (who are in a delicate situation and have already served three quarters of their prison charges). The European Parliament also quotes the case of Haytham al-Hamwi (son of Yassin al-Hamwi, arrested in 2003, mistreated and condemned to a four year prison term after a trial described as unfair by authoritative sources) and Riad al-Hamood (Kurdish militant and active member of the committees for the renaissance of civil of society, arrested in June 2005 and probably mistreated), urging the Syrian authorities to ensure they are well-treated and to ratify the Convention against Torture and Inhuman and Degrading Treatment. The MEPs point out that President Bachar Al Assad coming to power has helped open up the Syrian political system to an extent, and they urge the EU to remind Damascus that the EU-Syria Association Agreement (which has not yet been unsigned) includes clauses on human rights and democracy. The EP wants a human rights subcommittee to be established in the framework of the EU-Syria Association Agreement, like the ones created for Jordan and Morocco. The EP wants to be closely involved in the subcommittee's activities and follow-up, stressing the importance of working with civil society representatives.
During the debate, Belgian Socialist Veronique de Keyser, European Parliament rapporteur on the EU-Syria Association Agreement said the aim was not to isolate Syria, which the EP sees as a friend that has to introduce democracy. Louis Michel said the Commission was aware of the political problems hampering signing of the Agreement. He said Syria had made the first step by withdrawing its troops from Lebanon, but there still seemed to be Syrian secret services present in Lebanon, and Syria's failure to cooperate over Iraq was problematic. The Commissioner said strong and significant action would be needed from Damascus before the EU-Syria Association Agreement could be signed. This was echoed by the British Tory MEP Charles Tannock, European Parliament rapporteur on the EU's Neighbourhood Policy, who said that Syria had to made greater efforts if it wanted to get a beneficial action plan as part of the Neighbourhood Policy. French Socialist Beatrice Patrie, President of the delegation for relations with Mashrek countries, said that during a recent visit to Damascus as President of the delegation he had spoken before President Assad himself about the importance attached by the European Parliament to Syria improving its human rights and democracy record.