MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
13.6.2006
pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure
by Jonas Sjöstedt, Giusto Catania,
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
on the death penalty in North Korea
B6‑0361/06
European Parliament resolution on the death penalty in North Korea
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on North Korea;
- having regard to its previous resolutions on a universal moratorium on the death penalty,
A. whereas a North-Korean citizen, Mr Son Jong Nam, was reportedly tortured, according to UN sources, by the National Security Agency, and then sentenced to death without a trial, and without the benefit of any of the procedural safeguards required by international human rights law;
B. whereas late April, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions called upon the North Korean government to postpone the execution and review the conviction;
C. whereas on 5 May 2005, the government of DPRK replied to the concerns expressed by characterising the UN experts' letter as a "product of conspiracy" undertaken by "hostile forces to defame, disintegrate and overthrow the state and social system of the DPRK";
D. whereas Son has been charged with "betraying" his county and sharing information with South Koreans after a visit to China where he reportedly met with his brother; whereas Son Jong Hoon is sentenced to public execution;
- 1.Affirms once again its call for the abolition of the death penalty and for an immediate moratorium on capital punishment, including in the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea;
- 2.Calls on the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to suspend the scheduled execution and abide by its international human rights obligations;
- 3.Calls on the EU Council to do its outmost to convince North Korea to abandon the scheduled execution of Son Jong Nan;
- 4.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the UN Security General and the government and parliament of the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea.