Sous-commission Droits de l'homme (DROI) - Parlement européen

EU priorities for UNHRC sessions in 2016
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

EU seamen detained in India, Ethiopia and North Korea nuclear test

Parliament calls on India to release the 14 Estonian and 6 British seamen detained in the south of the country, strongly condemns the nuclear test conducted on 6 January by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and deplores the recent use of excessive force by security forces in Ethiopia, in three resolutions voted on Thursday.

EU citizens under detention in India, notably Estonian and UK seamen
Ethiopia
North Korea
Press release
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

EU seamen detained in India, Ethiopia and North Korea nuclear test

Parliament calls on India to release the 14 Estonian and 6 British seamen detained in the south of the country, strongly condemns the nuclear test conducted on 6 January by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and deplores the recent use of excessive force by security forces in Ethiopia, in three resolutions voted on Thursday.
Further information
Urgency resolutions
Press release
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © Union européenne, 2016 - PE

Source : © Union européenne, 2016 - PE

Source : © Union européenne, 2016 - PE

DROI will hold an exchange of views on the human rights situation in Georgia; an exchange of views with the EEAS on the EU's priorities for the upcoming 31st Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC); a discussion on the draft report on Human rights and migration in third countries (Rapporteur Marie-Christine Vergiat) and an exchange of views with Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (Jointly with SEDE).
The exchange of views on Children in armed conflicts : challenges for international action with Leila Zerrougui will take place in meeting room ASP 1E2
Further information
Meeting documents
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Elena Valenciano, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, calls on the EU and the EU Member States to act urgently to ensure humanitarian access to besieged towns and villages in Syria. For full press statement see link below.
Further information
Full press statement
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Elena Valenciano, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights in the European Parliament, calls on the EU and the EU Member States to act urgently to ensure humanitarian access to besieged towns and villages in Syria
Full press statement
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © Union européenne, 2015 - PE

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © Union européenne, 2015 - PE

This issue covers the Sakharov Prize Award Ceremony in Strasbourg and exchanges of views with: Mary McGowan Davis, Chair of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict and Fabrice Leggeri, Executive Director of FRONTEX; the DROI Mission to the UN General Assembly, New York and debates on Burundi, Eastern Ukraine and Crimea and Mauritania
Issue 24
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Preparing for the World Humanitarian Summit: Challenges and opportunities for humanitarian assistance
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Situation in Burundi
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

EU should enforce human rights clauses in cases of gross breaches

The inclusion of human rights clauses in all EU international agreements and their enforcement in cases of gross breaches of human rights were strongly defended by MEPs in a resolution on the annual report on human rights and democracy in 2014, adopted on Thursday. MEPs also called for a stronger dialogue with third countries and finding sustainable solutions to tackle the root causes of migration.
Annual report on human rights and democracy in the world 2014
Press release
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Maldives; Malaysia;the case of Ibrahim Halawa in Egypt

Parliament calls for the immediate release of an Irish citizen,Ibrahim Halawa, detained in Egypt, the release of all political prisoners inMaldives, and the withdrawal of the anti-sodomy law in Malaysia, in threeresolutions passed on Thursday.

Press release
Ibrahim Halawa potentially facing the death penalty
Situation in the Maldives
Malaysia
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Parliament calls for the immediate release of an Irish citizen, Ibrahim Halawa, detained in Egypt, the release of all political prisoners in Maldives, and the withdrawal of the anti-sodomy law in Malaysia, in three resolutions passed on Thursday.
Further information
Urgency resolutions
Press release
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Raif Badawi, this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought laureate, who is a Saudi blogger and human rights activist, still remains in prison. This is why his wife Ensaf Haidar, who lives as a refugee in Canada with their three children, will collect the award in the Parliament on Wednesday, 16 December.

On Monday evening, 14 December, in Strasbourg, members of DROI, AFET and DEVE held an exchange of views with Ensaf Haidar together with Stavros Lambrinidis, EU Special Representative for Human Rights.

During her intervention, DROI Chair, Elena Valenciano, expressed that "Raif's only crime was simply to express his thoughts. His only weapon: his words. And they replied to his words with lashes, prison, harassment and isolation."

Members conveyed their support for Raif Badawi and their hope that he will be pardoned and charges against him will be dropped.They also voiced their concern about the dire situation of human rights in Saudi Arabia and insisted on the need to align the EU foreign and commercial policy to its human rights guiding principles. They also highlighted the high number of human rights defenders in Saudi jails, including the lawyer of Raif Badawi, and that over 150 persons have been executed since the beginning of the year, including juveniles.

Further information
An empty chair
Interview with Ensaf Haidar, wife of Raif Badawi
Extracts from Monday's debate with Ensaf Haidar and Stavros Lambrinidis
Extracts from the Award Ceremony
Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP