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

The Yemen conflict has deteriorated since 2015 despite repeated rounds of peace negotiations. The most recent round of UN-led Talks ended in August 2016 with no agreement. The conflict is in danger of escalating beyond Yemen’s borders with frequent Houthi incursions into Saudi Arabia, foreign ships being targeted by missiles from Houthi-controlled areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait – a major international trade route – and Saudi Arabia and Iran siding with opposite sides in the conflict. The latest 72-hour cease-fire starting 20 October was not renewed when it ended on 22 October. The cease-fire did, however, allow humanitarian aid agencies to step in to start to provide assistance to some of the 21.2 million people across the country who are in need of humanitarian aid. UN OCHA has estimated it needs USD 1.63 billion for its Yemen humanitarian response plan, but it has only received pledges for 47 % of that amount so far. The EU has recently announced a further EUR 40 million for the fund, taking the total EU pledge to EUR 120 million. The European Parliament has called for an EU arms embargo on Saudi Arabia, which is responsible for the majority of the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © Union européenne, 2016 - PE

The Chair of the European Parliament's Human Rights Subcommittee Elena Valenciano (S&D, ES) today expressed her grave concern at reports that Saudi Arabia could reinstate the sentence of 1000 lashes against Raif Badawi, who is currently still in prison. Full statement below.
Press statement
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

The Chair of the European Parliament’s Human Rights Subcommittee Elena Valenciano (S&D, ES) today expressed her grave concern at reports that Saudi Arabia could reinstate the sentence of 1000 lashes against Raif Badawi, who is currently still in prison. For full press statement see below.
Further information
Press statement
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Parliament condemns any act of intimidation, arrest, detention or prosecution of opposition party leaders, members and activists in Rwanda, the ongoing indiscriminate bombing of civilians and human rights breaches in Sudan, and the guilty verdict against worker's rights defender Andy Hall in Thailand, in three separate resolutions voted on Thursday.
Rwanda, the case of Victoire Ingabire
Sudan
Thailand, notably the case of Andy Hall
Press Release
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Parliament condemns the current wave of extrajudicial executions and killings in the Philippines, deteriorating security and widespread intimidation in Somalia, and growing violence against demonstrators and breaches of human rights in Zimbabwe, in three resolutions voted on Thursday.

Philippines
Somalia
Zimbabwe
Press release
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

In link with the classification of the Russian non-governmental organisation International Historical and Human Rights Society (IHHRS) 'Memorial' as 'a foreign agent', the Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament, Elena Valenciano (S&D, ES) made the following statement:

Speaking on behalf of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights, I denounce the decision taken by the Russian authorities which is another attempt to silence an independent organisation that promotes and protects human rights through peaceful advocacy work.

Full statement
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

In link with the classification of the Russian non-governmental organisation International Historical and Human Rights Society (IHHRS) ‘Memorial’ as ‘a foreign agent’, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament, Elena Valenciano (S&D, ES) made the following statement:
Speaking on behalf of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights, I denounce the decision taken by the Russian authorities which is another attempt to silence an independent organisation that promotes and protects human rights through peaceful advocacy work. The reiterated labelling of this organization as a 'foreign agent' is discriminatory and stigmatizing.
Further information
Full statement
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Human Rights Subcommittee reiterated their strong support to Cubans human rights defender and political dissent Guillermo "El Coco" Fariñas and to the Cuban journalist and Executive Director of the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights Alejandro González Raga, in a debate on Wednesday afternoon. The 2010 Sakharov Prize laureate asked MEPs to "vote against" the EU-Cuba bilateral agreement.
Further information
Full press release
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Deteriorating human rights situation in Ethiopia, killings of Oromos and the country-wide six-month state of emergency declared on Sunday 9 October by the Ethiopian government were amongst the main issues raised by Human Rights subcommittee and Development committee Members in a joint meeting on Wednesday morning 12 October.
Further information
Full press release
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

The next meeting of the Subcommittee on Human Rights will take place on Wednesday 9 November 2016 from 9.00 - 12.30 and from 15.00 - 18.30 in room ASP 3G3.

Representatives of NGOs as well as other organisations are requested to accede to the EU Transparency Register and follow the procedures therein for access to the European Parliament.
Further information
Watch the meeting live
Draft agenda and meeting documents
Press Statements
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Length of video : 117'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © Union européenne, 2016 - PE

Durée de la vidéo : 41'
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Clause de non-responsabilité : L'interprétation des débats facilite la communication mais ne constitue en aucun cas un enregistrement authentifié des débats. Seuls le discours original ou la traduction écrite révisée du discours original peuvent être considérés authentiques.
Source : © Union européenne, 2016 - PE

Length of video : 135'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Durée de la vidéo : 46'
Vous pouvez télécharger manuellement cette vidéo au format WMV (488Mb)

Clause de non-responsabilité : L'interprétation des débats facilite la communication mais ne constitue en aucun cas un enregistrement authentifié des débats. Seuls le discours original ou la traduction écrite révisée du discours original peuvent être considérés authentiques.
Source : © Union européenne, 2016 - PE

Can Dündar and fellow defenders of freedom of thought and expression in Turkey, the Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzemilev, the Yazidi survivors and public advocates Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar are this year's finalists for the Sakharov Prize following a vote by the Foreign Affairs and Development committees on 11 October. The laureate will be selected by the EP President and the political group leaders on 27 October and the award ceremony will be held in Strasbourg on 14 December.

Full press release
Sakharov Prize web page
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Can Dündar and fellow defenders of freedom of thought and expression in Turkey, the Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzemilev, the Yazidi survivors and public advocates Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar as well as Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti are this year's nominees for the Sakharov Prize. MEPs formally presented them at a meeting of the foreign affairs and development committees and the human rights subcommittee on Thursday 6 October. The laureate will be announced on 27 October
More details on the nominees.
Watch the presentation video
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Can Dündar and fellow defenders of freedom of thought and expression in Turkey, the Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzemilev, the Yazidi survivors and public advocates Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar are this year's finalists for the Sakharov Prize following a vote by the Foreign Affairs and Development committees on 11 October. The laureate will be selected by the EP President and the political group leaders on 27 October and the award ceremony will be held in Strasbourg on 14 December.
Further information
Full Press Release
Sakharov Prize web page
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP