DRAFT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
1 September 2005
pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure
by Pasqualina Napoletano, Véronique De Keyser, Beatrice Patrie
on behalf of the PSE
on the situation of political prisoners in Syria
B6-0459/2005
European parliament resolution on the situation of political prisoners in Syria
The European Parliament,
- having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
- having regard to Article 11(1) of the Treaty of the European Union and Article 177 of the EC
Treaty, which establishes the promotion of human rights as an objective of the common foreign
and security policy,
- having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the accession to power of the current president, Bachar Al Assad, gave rise to some hope in Syria and opening up of the Syrian political system dominated by the Baas party for many years,
B. whereas the European Parliament and its President have already intervened several times in favour of the release of the two parliamentarians Riad Seif and Mamun al-Humsi, who are in an alarming condition and have already served three-quarters of their term of imprisonment,
C. whereas Amnesty International is calling on the Syrian authorities to drop immediately all charges against Hasan Zeino, Yassin al-Hamwi and Muhammad Ali al-Abdullah, who are facing trial before military courts, even though they are civilians, for their peaceful activities,
D. whereas Hasan Zeino, Yassin al-Hamwi and Muhammad Ali al-Abdullah will appear before military courts in Homs and Damascus charged with "possession of publications of a prohibited organisation", "the establishment a secret society", "the deflation of public administration" etc.,
E. whereas Haytham al-Hamwi, Yassin al-Hamwi's son, was arrested in 2003, tortured, ill-treated and sentenced after a grossly unfair trial (according to prominent NGOs), to four years' imprisonment,
F. whereas Riad al-Hamood, a civil society activist, Arab language teacher and an active member of the Committees for Revival of Civil Society, who was arrested on 4 June 2005 after a speech at a funeral of an Islamic scholar who had been tortured to death and held in custody in solitary confinement at Adra prison near Damascus, is at serious risk of torture,
G. whereas, in July 2005, the UN Human Rights Committee expressed its concern "at the obstacles imposed on the registration and free operation of non-governmental human rights organisations" in Syria and "intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders",
H. whereas the defence of human rights is an essential element of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership,
1. Urges the Syrian authorities to release Riad Seif and Mamun al-Humsi immediately, for humanitarian reasons,
2. Expresses its grave concern at the restrictions imposed on and the charges against Hasan Zeino, Yassin al-Hamwi and Muhammad Ali al-Abdullah, facing trial for their peaceful activities;
3. Urges the Syrian authorities to take serious account of the call from Amnesty International and its call for the release of Riad Seif and Mamun al-Humsi but also for the dropping of all charges against Hasan Zeino, Yassin al-Hamwi, Muhammad Ali al-Abdullah and Riad al-Hamood, facing trial for their peaceful activities;
4. Calls on the Syrian authorities to:
(a) ensure that the detainees are well treated and not subject to torture or other ill-treatment,
(b) ratify the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment,
(c) ensure that detained or imprisoned persons are given prompt, regular and unrestricted access to their lawyers, doctors and families;
5. Points out that respect for human rights constitutes a vital component in a future EU-Syria Association Agreement;
6. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the individual Member States to make clear to the Syrian authorities that the agreement which is currently being negotiated incorporates human rights clauses;
7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Syrian Government and Parliament.