MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Yemen: prosecution of juvenile offenders, notably the case of Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum
15.2.2011
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure
José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Elmar Brok, Cristian Dan Preda, Angelika Niebler, Filip Kaczmarek, Bernd Posselt, Mario Mauro, Bogusław Sonik, Tunne Kelam, Elena Băsescu, Monica Luisa Macovei, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Sari Essayah, Martin Kastler on behalf of the PPE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0135/2011
B7‑0142/2011
European Parliament resolution on Yemen: prosecution of juvenile offenders, notably the case of Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its resolution of 10 February 2010 on the situation in Yemen,
– having regard to its resolution of 7 October 2010 on the World Day against the death penalty,
– having regard to the European Community Strategy Paper for Yemen for the period 2007-2013,
– having regard to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which have been ratified by Yemen,
– having regard to the revised and updated version of the EU Guidelines on the Death Penalty, adopted by the Council on 16 June 2008,
– having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum was sentenced to death in September 2001 by the Criminal Court in Ibb, in the south-west of Yemen, after his conviction for a murder he allegedly committed in June 1999, while he was under the age of eighteen;
B. whereas his death sentence was upheld by an Appeal Court in May 2005, confirmed by the Supreme Court in April 2010, and has been ratified by the President of Yemen;
C. whereas the Attorney General has indicated that the execution can be carried out, but has not yet signed the order for the execution,
D. whereas Yemen has made significant progress in the prohibition of the use of the death penalty against juvenile offenders, but Courts continue to sentence juvenile offenders to death;
E. whereas more than 100 countries that retain the death penalty for crimes have outlawed the execution of juvenile offenders; stressing, however, that a small number of countries continue to execute juvenile offenders in flagrant violation of the international law, in particular of Article 6(5) of the ICCPR,
1. Reiterates its long-standing opposition to the death penalty in all cases and under all circumstances; condemns all executions wherever they take place;
2. Calls on the President of Yemen to halt the execution of Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum;
3. Calls on the Yemeni authorities to revoke the death sentences of alleged juvenile offenders such as Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum;
4. Calls on the Yemeni authorities to respect article 31 of Yemen's Penal Code which requires non-capital sentences for crimes committed by persons under the age of eighteen;
5. Urges the Yemeni authorities to respect the internationally recognised legal safeguards with regard to minors, such as the ICCPR and the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
6. Welcomes and supports the active cooperation between the Commission, the Council and the Yemeni Government in many areas, including justice; reiterates its call on the Council and the Commission to further strengthen bilateral relations with Yemen;
7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission and the President and Government of the Republic of Yemen.