Europees Parlement roept Soedan, Wit-Rusland en Burundi op mensenrechten te respecteren (en)

As usual Parliament adopted three human rights resolutions at the end of its Strasbourg plenary session on Thursday. In these resolutions, MEPs condemn Sudan for failing to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, call for Belarus to release political prisoners and end intimidation of the opposition, and urge all sides in Burundi to respect the ceasefire agreement.

Sudan's persistent failure to cooperate with the ICC condemned

MEPs urge the authorities in Khartoum to surrender "without further delay" Ahmad Harun and Ali Kushayb, currently subject to arrest warrants of the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. They condemn Sudan's failure to cooperate with the ICC. The European Council meeting June is asked to adopt "targeted EU punitive measures" against some Sudanese officials.

In April 2007 the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Sudan's former Minister of the Interior Ahmad Harun and former Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as `Ali Kushayb', on 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Ahmad Harun is now the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Ali Kushayb - who was in Sudanese custody on other charges at the time the warrants were issued - was released from jail in October 2007, says the resolution.

MEPs urge the authorities in Khartoum to arrest and surrender the two ICC suspects without further delay.  They urge the Sudanese Government to ratify the Statute of the ICC and to cooperate unconditionally with the International Criminal Court.

The ICC's Chief Prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, will report on 5 June 2008 for the seventh time to the UN Security Council on the progress of its investigations in Darfur.

The European Council of 19-20 June is asked to adopt targeted EU punitive measures against a clearly identified group of Sudanese officials. These sanctions would include freezing and seizing assets and measures denying access to EU banks for any financial transaction or payment.

EU Member States and the European Commission are asked to ensure that their development aid to Sudan is not delivered via Ahmad Harun's Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

MEPs call on the EU to exert pressure on China to join the international efforts to end the conflict. China is also asked to use "its considerable leverage" on the Government of Sudan as the main provider of income for the Government of Sudan from oil sales. China should stop delivering weapons to Sudan.

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Call for Belarus to release political prisoners and end intimidation of the opposition

MEPs urge the Belarusian authorities to release political prisoner Aliaksandr Kazulin and to stop using intimidation and politically motivated prosecutions against activists of the democratic opposition and civil society. The House expresses solidarity with the democratic opposition of Belarus in a resolution adopted this Thursday.

The House condemns the sentences given to Syarhei Parsyukevich and Andrei Kim on 22 and 23 April 2008 in Minsk for their participation in the entrepreneurs' demonstrations of 10 January 2008. They also deplore the reportedly excessive force used by Belarusian security forces against and the arrests of peaceful citizens gathered in Minsk on 25 March 2008 to mark the ninetieth anniversary of the Foundation of the Independent Belarusian People's Republic.

MEPs urge the Belarusian authorities to release immediately and unconditionally the remaining political prisoner, Aliaksandr Kazulin, and to stop using intimidation, harassment, targeted arrests and politically motivated prosecutions against activists of the democratic opposition and civil society in Belarus.

On 21 November 2006 the European Union declared its readiness to renew its relationship with Belarus and its people within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy as soon as the Belarusian Government demonstrates respect for democratic values and for the basic rights of the Belarusian people, recalls the resolution.

Belarus is the only country in Europe which still has the death penalty.

Upcoming parliamentary elections

The House urges the Belarusian authorities fully to implement OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) standards in the organisation of the parliamentary elections scheduled for autumn 2008.

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Burundi: parties asked to respect ceasefire agreement

MEPs call on all parties to respect the ceasefire agreement concluded on 7 September 2006 after 14 years of civil war. Since 17 April 2008 fighting has again erupted between government troops and the rebel National Liberation Front in Burundi, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their homes and resulting in the deaths of 50 rebel fighters.

MEPs call on all parties to respect the ceasefire agreement concluded on 7 September 2006, resume negotiations. Negotiations between the government and the National Liberation Front (FNL) broke down in July 2007 when the FNL walked out of the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism created to oversee implementation of the ceasefire accord signed in September 2006.

The House urges the FNL, and its leader Agathon Rwasa, to engage constructively in the peace process.

The latest bout of fighting is part of a series of clashes which have left 35 000 people displaced, bringing the total number of internally displaced persons to over 100 000. The critical humanitarian and socio-economic situation endangers regional stability , according to the resolution.

MEPs call on the neighbouring states to ensure they do not serve as bases for the rebel movement, and welcomes Tanzania's decision to cease acting as a haven for FNL leaders. Tanzania wants to return its Burundian refugees to Burundi, while Burundi is still taking in thousands of Rwandan and Congolese refugees.

The Commission should give priority support to programmes for better governance and democratic state management; health policies, through the creation of health centres and the essential renewal of the hospital network; free primary education and renewing the country's infrastructure, say MEPs.

Peace and reconciliation commission

The House calls for the establishment of a peace and reconciliation commission to help restore a climate of confidence and stability. Governments of the EU Member States should support such an initiative financially and logistically.

The resolution was adopted with 75 votes in favour, none against and no abstentions.