MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen
4.4.2011
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Charles Tannock, Ashley Fox, Ryszard Antoni Legutko, Michał Tomasz Kamiński, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Ryszard Czarnecki, Adam Bielan, Konrad Szymański on behalf of the ECR Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0249/2011
B7‑0252/2011
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Syria, Bahrain and Yemen,
– having regard to numerous statements on the situation in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen made by the High Representative / Vice President Catherine Ashton,
– having regard to the report on Relations of the European Union with the Gulf Cooperation Council (INI/2010/2233),
– having regard to the Council conclusions on Yemen from 21 March 2011,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
Syria
A. whereas citizens of Syria are subjected to arbitrary arrest and imprisonment without trial, or trial by military court and have no independent judiciary to defend them, no freedom of speech and no right to demonstrate guaranteed by law,
B. whereas on 16 March protests began in Damascus, followed by the ‘day of rage’ rallies in several cities in Syria, wherein at least four people were killed, which in turn caused more turmoil and more demonstrations,
C. whereas Syria’s government has made a number of public statements committing to freedom of expression and political participation but has failed to deliver tangible progress on this issue,
D. whereas President Bashar al-Asad’s has failed to commit to a specific reform agenda that would safeguard public freedoms and judicial independence and prohibit the Syrian government from encroaching on human rights,
E. whereas the Syrian government uses the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), a special court that remains outside the ordinary criminal justice system, to try political activists and human rights defenders,
F. whereas Syria declared a state of emergency in 1963 and has not repealed Syria’s Emergency Law to date,
Bahrain
G. whereas on 14 February, the ‘Day of Rage’ peaceful protesters gathered in central Manama in order to call for a new constitution,
H. whereas, in response to those peaceful protests security forces have used considerable force, attacking peaceful demonstrators with tear gas and rubber bullets,
I. whereas Saudi troops have entered Bahrain with the stated task of protecting essential infrastructure, such as oil installations,
J. whereas personnel of the security forces have allegedly beaten medics from Salmaniya Hospital who were trying to help the wounded in the streets,
Yemen
K. whereas the pro-democracy movement has been gathering momentum in Yemen since January 2011 resulting in recent pro democracy protests on the streets of Sanaa,
L. whereas snipers opened fire on a pro-democracy camp in the capital, Sanaa, on 18 March 2011 killing more than 50 people,
M. whereas the parliament of Yemen on 23 March 2011 approved emergency legislation authorizing 30 days of expanded powers of arrest, detention, and censorship,
N. whereas on 1 April thousands of protesters took to the streets of Sanaa in opposition to President Ali Abdullah Saleh; whereas on the same day security forces opened fire on protesters in the Yemeni city of Taiz killing at least 12 people and injuring many more,
O. whereas Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East with dwindling oil reserves, a growing population, weak central government, growing water shortages and little investment in the country’s economy,
1. Insists that the governments of Syria, Bahrain and Yemen guarantee protection for protesters and uphold the right of protesters to take part in peaceful demonstrations and to guarantee freedom of expression;
2. Calls on the governments of Syria, Bahrain and Yemen to cease immediately the use of force against peaceful protesters; urges the security forces to show the utmost restraint when responding to protests;
3. Calls upon the governments of Syria, Bahrain and Yemen to desist from the arbitrary arrest and detention of political activists and human rights defenders;
4. Considers it necessary for the governments of Syria, Bahrain and Yemen to pursue greater democratisation and implement democratic reforms without delay by introducing new laws that will broaden political and civil society participation;
5. Notes the decision by president Bashar al-Assad of Syria to form a legal committee to look into lifting emergency laws; urges the committee to pursue the repeal of 1963 emergency legislation;
6. Calls upon all parties involved in power sharing talks in Yemen to exercise the utmost restraint and take all steps necessary to defuse this situation without the occurrence of further violence;
7. Underlines that the declaration of a state of emergency in any country does not absolve that Nation’s Government from its essential obligations to uphold the rule of law and their international human rights commitments;
8. Calls upon the governments of Syria, Bahrain and Yemen to set up an independent and transparent investigation into the security forces’ actions and to hold accountable any member of the security services who shot at or ordered the shooting of unarmed protesters with live ammunition; calls for an investigation in Bahrain into allegations of foreign interference inciting the protesters to resort to violence;
9. Calls upon the Syrian authorities to stop government censorship of local and foreign publications, and to end government control over newspapers and other publications;
10. Calls upon the government of Syria to Abolish the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) and create an independent judicial commission to review the existing cases before the court;
11. Condemns the decision by the parliament of Yemen to introduce new emergency law and calls upon the authorities to bring change by the means of reforms and dialogue with the protesters instead of the use of force;
12. Calls upon the authorities in the three countries to account publicly for everyone who has been killed, injured or those who remain missing;
13. Calls upon the Bahraini authorities to respect the neutrality of the provision of healthcare and urges them to release all medical personnel recently arrested and if the allegations are proven bring security officers responsible for this situation to justice;
14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the governments of Yemen, Syria and Bahrain.