MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

4.7.2005

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 115 of the Rules of Procedure
by Anders Wijkman, Mario Mantovani, Bernd Posselt and Charles Tannock
on behalf of the EPP-ED group
on the Human Rights situation in Ethiopia

B6-0437/2005

European Parliament resolution on the human rights situation in Ethiopia

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Rule 115 of its Rules of Procedure,

• A.Deeply concerned by the recent post-election violent crackdown on opposition party leaders and members of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), Addis Abbaba university students, peaceful civilians, human rights defenders and journalists - altogether several thousand people, most of whom are or have been detained in undesignated prisons,
• B.Whereas on 8 June, security forces opened fire indiscriminately on large crowds of unarmed civilians, killing at least 36 people and wounding more than 100 in Addis Abbaba,
• C.Disturbed by the murder of parliamentary elect Tesfaye Adana Jara, member of the Oromo National Congress in the UEDF coalition, shot dead by police in Arsi, 180 km south of Addis Abbaba, on 12 June,
• D.Whereas six human rights defenders, members of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, as well as Andargachew Tsege, former member of the ruling party and former deputy mayor of Addis Abbaba, and many others supporters of the CUD and UEDF have been detained, many without charge,
• E.Whereas although close to 4 000 detainees have been released so far, it is believed that there are still hundreds of opposition party members in jail, often incommunicado without charge or access to legal counsel and without being presented before a court within 48 hours as required by Ethiopian law,
• F.Worried by the condition of detainees in the Ziway military camp, which is not an officially-designated place of custody, where the risks of contracting malaria, HIV-AIDS and other diseases are high due to overcrowding, poor medical facilities and hygiene,
• G.Recalling that the pre-election period and the day of the election were overwhelmingly peaceful and that despite some irregularities, the elections were held without major confrontation between the government and opposition parties, but whereas results have been called into question in a large number of constituencies and at least 135 of them will be the object of a complaint investigation procedure,
• H.Whereas the government has withdrawn Voice of America and Deutsche Welle journalists' accreditations, thereby further curtailing the right to collect and transmit information which amounts to restricting the freedom of expression,

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• 1.Condemns the government security forces for the violent repression against civilians, opposition leaders and supporters and the killing of at least 36 persons;
• 2.Considers that it is the government's responsibility to guarantee the safety and security of its citizens and that of newly elected parliament members and calls on the government to take the necessary measures to stop harassment of opposition political party members, human rights activists, independent journalists;
• 3.Calls on the Ethiopian government to put an immediate end to restrictions on the reporting of opposition activities and messages in public media; calls on all parties to communicate in a responsible and non-inflammatory way;
• 4.In this context, and because post-election media reports have been clearly biased in stark contrast with reports during and before the election, calls on the Ethiopian government to put into place an independent media commission with representatives from all major political parties, media professionals and people of eminence in order to promote accurate, objective and diverse media reports;
• 5.Calls upon the Ethiopian government to respect international conventions on human rights and the freedom of press and restore accreditation to all local correspondents of Voice of America and Deutsche Welle;
• 6.Calls for the establishment of an independent and impartial inquiry committee to fully investigate the circumstances of the deaths and injuries during the post-election violence on 8 June, and to bring to court those responsible for killings and injuries as well as all instigators of violence;
• 7.Welcomes the release of three members of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council; Calls on the Ethiopian government to release the other three EHRC members, as well as Andargachew Tsege and all members and supporters of the CUD and UEDF who have been detained on vague or no charges;
• 8.Welcomes the recent release of some 4,000 detainees as well as the government's announcement that the detainees at the Ziway military camp will now have access to their families and to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); in this context underlines the key role that can and must be played by the ICRC in assisting detainees and investigating human rights conditions in prisons;
• 9.Calls on the Ethiopian authorities to bring before the court or to release the remaining detainees who were rounded up by the security forces without further delay;
• 10.Calls on the government to guarantee that detainees shall not be subject to torture, ill treatment or disappearance and that their rights to have access to their families, medical care and legal counsel be respected in conformity with the Universal Declaration on Human rights and with all other international Human Rights instruments binding Ethiopia;
• 11.Calls on the Ethiopian government and all political parties to fully respect the agreement signed on June 10 aiming at ensuring that the current electoral process is concluded in a transparent and credible manner to the satisfaction of all parties involved as well as in the eyes of the Ethiopian people;
• 12.In this context, calls on all parties to contribute to a peaceful resolution to current differences, to refrain from inflammatory statements and provocations and to call on their supporters and all citizens to exercise restraint so as to calm down current tensions;
• 13.Calls on the EU Election Observation Mission to continue playing a key role in the post-election process, during the investigations of complaints in regard to election irregularities, and in the Somali state elections due to be held in August;
• 14.Calls on the EU and the international community to stay vigilant and to do their utmost to contribute to a peaceful solution to the current tensions and to allow the Ethiopian democratisation process not to come to a halt;
• 15.In this context, notes the UK announcement that it would freeze additional aid funds earmarked for Ethiopia; deplores, however, the fact that the European Union has not managed to arrive at a joint position on how to proceed with Ethiopian aid and support;
• 16.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Ethiopian government, to the two main opposition coalitions, the Council, the Commission and the African Union.