9. Statements by the President

Verbatim reports

The President reminded Members that the Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad, Sakharov Prize winners in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

The President called on the Pakistani authorities to ensure a fair trial for Asia Bibi, a woman from the Christian minority charged with blasphemy and facing the possibility of being hanged.

In the light of the following day's vote on the situation in Venezuela, the President expressed Parliament's indignation at the death in detention of opposition councillor Fernando Albán. He called on the Venezuelan Government to respect human rights and to release all political prisoners, as had been the case with Lorent Saleh, Sakharov Prize winner in 2017, while deploring the fact that Leopoldo López remained under house arrest.

(The sitting was suspended for a short period until voting time.)