MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the case of Ai Wei Wei

5.4.2011

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Véronique De Keyser on behalf of the S&D Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0274/2011

B7‑0279/2011

European Parliament resolution on the case of Ai Wei Wei

The European Parliament,

-    having regard to its previous resolutions on China, in particular its resolutions of, respectively, 13 December 2007 on the EU-China Summit and the EU/China human rights dialogue, and 26 November 2009 on ‘China: minority rights and the application of the death penalty’, on human rights violations in China, notably the case of Liu Xiaobo,

 

- having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A.  Whereas the internationally renowned artist and critic of the regime, Ai Wei Wei was detained while passing through security checks at Beijing airport on Sunday 3 April,

 

B.  Whereas further to his detention, his studio was allegedly raided by police, who confiscated several items,

 

C.  Whereas last year Ai Wei Wei was prevented from travelling abroad and was held under house arrest,

 

D.  Whereas Ai Wei Wei has allegedly been under constant surveillance and, according to his assistant, the police had visited his compound several times,

 

1.  Welcomes the statements made by some EU Governments, calling for the release of Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei;

2.  Condemns the unjustifiable and unacceptable detention of the critic of the regime and internationally renowned artist, Ai Wei Wei;

 

3.  Calls on the Chinese authorities to urgently provide clarification on detention of Ai Wei Wei and release him immediately and provide guarantees of his wellbeing as well as on questioning of his wife, Lu Qing and his assistants,

 

4.  Emphasises that police have refused to provide Ai Wei Wei's wife with information regarding the reason for his detention;

 

5.  Stresses that Ai Wei Wei's detention is an extremely worrying development that is symptomatic of increasingly severe crackdown on dissent, sparked by the uprisings in the Arab world;

 

6.  Calls on the VP/HR to continue to raise the issue of human rights violations at the very highest level in her contacts with the Chinese authorities;

 

7.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign and Security Policy, the President of the Council of the European Union, the Commission and the President, Prime Minister and People’s National Assembly of the People’s Republic of China.