Iran
The European Parliament calls on the Iranian authorities to unconditionally release all arbitrarily jailed women’s rights defenders protesting against the hijab being compulsory, as well as all other human rights defenders, imprisoned and sentenced for simply exercising their right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. It praises and supports the Iranian women human rights defenders who continue to stand up for their causes, despite the difficulties and personal repercussions they are facing.
MEPs also demand that all EU-Iranian dual nationals, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (British), Ahmadreza Djalali (Swedish) and Kamran Ghaderi (Austrian), currently detained in Iranian prisons be immediately released, unless they are retried according to international standards. The resolution urges the Iranian authorities to cooperate without further ado with EU member states’ embassies in Tehran in order to establish a comprehensive list of EU-Iranian dual nationals currently detained in the country, and to closely monitor each individual case.
The resolution was adopted by 608 votes in favour, 7 against and 46 abstentions. Full text will be available here.
Turkey
Amid a deteriorating rule of law situation in Turkey, MEPs condemn the recent decision by Turkish authorities to remove the democratically elected mayors in the cities of Diyarbakır, Van and Mardin from office based on questionable evidence and alleged links to terrorism. They also strongly criticise the arbitrary replacement of local elected representatives by unelected central government trustees, which is further undermining the democratic structure of Turkey, according to the text. The resolution calls on the Turkish authorities to reinstate all mayors and other elected officials who won local elections on 31 March 2019 but were subsequently prevented from assuming office, dismissed or replaced on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations.
The European Parliament also condemns the threats to dismiss other elected officials, specifically targeting the new mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu, and calls on the country’s authorities to refrain from further intimidation.
The resolution was adopted by show of hands. Full text will be available here.
Myanmar
MEPs reiterate their strong condemnation of all past and present human rights violations, which according to the UN Office of the High Commission on Human Rights amounts to genocide and crimes against humanity, perpetrated by the armed forces of Myanmar against the country’s minority Rohingya population.
They express their grave concern about the ongoing and long-lasting conflict and call once again upon the Myanmar government under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi and the security forces to immediately stop the violations.
The resolution also commends the efforts undertaken by the government and people of neighbouring Bangladesh to provide refuge and security to Rohingya refugees, while urging the Bangladeshi side to fully respect the principle of non-refoulement and not force Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar, where their lives could be in danger.
MEPS finally welcome the decision of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open a preliminary investigation into crimes under the Court’s jurisdiction committed against the Rohingya population since 2016.
The resolution was adopted by 546 votes in favour, 12 against and 94 abstentions.
Ref.: 20190912IPR60935
