Human rights: Sahel, Philippines and Iran

The European Parliament on Thursday expressed serious concerns over deteriorating human rights situations in the African Sahel region, the Philippines and Iran.

Sahel region

MEPs unequivocally condemn attempts to seize power by force, attacks on schools and government buildings and cruel application of Sharia law, violations of women and human rights violations, especially in the rebel-held northern areas of Mali.

While welcoming the increase in the EU's humanitarian aid budget from €45 million to €120 million since the start of 2012, Parliament urges the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, to speed up the implementation of the EU Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel.

Philippines

The European Parliament strongly condemns the murder of the third witness of the Maguindanao massacre - in which 57 people were killed - and the assassination of four journalists. It wants the Philippines government of the to end impunity for extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture and bring those responsible to justice, including perpetrators of the Maguindanao massacre who are still at large.

Parliament is also concerned about judicial independence and slow convictions for human rights violations in the country, and calls for an immediate independent investigation into the recent murder cases.

Iran

Parliament is seriously concerned about the steadily deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, in particular of ethnic and religious minorities. It calls on the Iranian authorities to release all activists who are currently imprisoned for their peaceful advocacy of minority rights and demands guarantees for religious freedom as provided for in the Iranian constitution.

Harassment of non-Shia Muslims, systematic prosecution of the Baha'i minority and the application of the death penalty to converts from Islam should stop, the resolution says. It also urges the government to prohibit the execution of juveniles and commute all capital sentences currently faced by juveniles.

Procedure: Motions for resolutions (Rule 122)