MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on India, notably the death sentence against Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar

5.7.2011

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

Fiorello Provera, Rolandas Paksas, Lorenzo Fontana, Nikolaos Salavrakos, Mara Bizzotto, Jaroslav Paška, Juozas Imbrasas on behalf of the EFD Group

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B7‑0395/2011

European Parliament resolution on India, notably the death sentence against Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 62/149 of 18 December 2007 on the moratorium on the use of the death penalty in the world,

 

–   having regard to the UN Secretary-General's report to the fifteenth session of the Human Rights Council on the question of the death penalty of 16 July 2010 (A/HRC/15/19),  

 

–   having regard to Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, 

 

–   having regard to  the EU Guidelines on the Death Penalty, in particular in view of the planned revision of the Guidelines in 2011,

 

- having regard to the EU‑India Thematic Dialogue on Human Rights,

 

- having regart to Art. 122 of its rules of procedure,

 

A. whereas Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar confessed to carrying out a car bombing in New Delhi in 1993, after the Indian government linked him to the Khalistan Liberation Force, which aims to create an independent Sikh homeland in India,

 

B. whereas Mr. Singh Bhullar was refused clemency even after spending more than 5,700 days on deathrow, and his petition for mercy was rejected by Indian President Pratibha Patil on May 25,

 

C. whereas Mr Bhullar's wife petitioned the Supreme Court on June 24 to challenge the decision and pleaded for commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment,

 

1. Calls for the Indian authorities to commute the death sentence of Mr. Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar and declare a moratorium on the practice of execution in India, as prescribed by the UN General Assembly Resolution 62/149 of 18 December 2007;

 

2. Urges the government of India to take concrete steps to work towards the abolishment of the death penalty as a cruel and inhumane form of punishment;

 

3. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to India's Prime Minister, India's Minister for Law & Justice, India's Home Minister, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the EU Member States, the European Court of Human Rights, the UN Secretary-General, the President of the UN General Assembly and the governments of the UN member states.