MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, notably the cases of Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish and Abdullah al-Howaiti

6.7.2021 - (2021/2787(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure

Željana Zovko, Michael Gahler, Sandra Kalniete, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Miriam Lexmann, Paulo Rangel, Loránt Vincze, Krzysztof Hetman, Vladimír Bilčík, Janina Ochojska, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Ivan Štefanec, Inese Vaidere, Tomáš Zdechovský, Deirdre Clune, Peter Pollák, Christian Sagartz, Adam Jarubas, José Manuel Fernandes, Stanislav Polčák, Eva Maydell, Michaela Šojdrová, Romana Tomc, Jiří Pospíšil, Tom Vandenkendelaere, Luděk Niedermayer, Ioan‑Rareş Bogdan
on behalf of the PPE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0392/2021

B9‑0398/2021

European Parliament resolution on the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, notably the cases of Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish and Abdullah al-Howaiti

(2021/2787(RSP))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Saudi Arabia;

- having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

- having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

- having regard to the Convention on the Rights of the Child;

- having regard to the Arab Charter on Human Rights;

- having regard to the Statement of the Special Rapporteurs on the commutation of death sentences of 3 March 2021,

- having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure;

A. whereas Mustafa al-Darwish, who was executed in June, was arrested in May 2015; whereas according to the authorities he has been participating in the formation of an armed terrorist cell, the manufacturing of explosives to be used against police officers, the firing at enforcement officials and the attempted murder of police officers;

B.  whereas according to the authorities Mustafa al-Darwish was not a minor when he committed the crimes that he has been charged with;

C.  whereas Abdullah al-Howaiti has been sentenced to death for crimes he committed when he was a minor;

D.   whereas following a Saudi Royal Order of 2020 death sentences would be commuted for individuals who have committed crimes while minors;

E. whereas abolition of the death penalty worldwide is one of the main objectives of the EU’s human rights policy;

1. Reiterates its condemnation of the use of the death penalty and strongly supports the introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty, as a step towards abolition;

2. Urges the Government of Saudi Arabia to halt all pending executions and to commute all death sentences, and to establish a moratorium on the death penalty, and to abolish it;

3.  Welcomes the recent decision of the authorities to commute the death sentences given to three individuals for crimes allegedly committed when they were minors;

4.   Underlines that this decision is an important step towards compliance with Saudi Arabia’s international human rights obligations, particularly under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits executions for crimes committed by persons under the age of 18;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission /  High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the parliaments and governments of the Member States, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Majlis ash-Shura.