Human rights: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Cambodia

Parliament urges Cambodia to drop all charges brought against opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) members; calls on the Bangladesh authorities to restore the full independence of the media; and appeals to the government of Afghanistan to intensify cooperation with the government of Pakistan, in three resolutions passed on Thursday.

Cambodia

Parliament is concerned at the deteriorating climate for opposition politicians and activists, and human rights, social and environmental activists in Cambodia and urges the Cambodian authorities to "revoke the arrest warrant and drop all charges issued against opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) members of the National Assembly and Senate, including Senator Hong Sok Hour and CNRP activists and organisers, to allow them to work freely without fear of arrest or persecution, and to end political use of the courts to prosecute people on politically-motivated and trumped-up charge". The EP calls on the government of Cambodia and the opposition to engage in a serious and meaningful dialogue.

The non-binding resolution was passed by 567 votes to 27, with 36 abstentions.

Bangladesh

The EP condemns the increasing attacks by Islamist extremists on secularist writers, bloggers, religious minorities and foreign aid workers in Bangladesh and expresses its concern at the growing restrictions on freedom of expression which have accompanied the rise of religious fundamentalism, intolerance and extremist violence in the country.

Parliament calls on the Bangladesh authorities to restore the full independence of the media, to drop all charges against publishers and journalists who have published content critical of the government, to allow the immediate re-opening of all media houses which were closed, and to urgently fulfil the country's commitments and apply the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity endorsed in 2013.

The non-binding resolution was adopted by 586 votes to 31, with 25 abstentions.

Afghanistan

Parliament strongly condemns the barbaric murder and beheading of seven Hazari people in the south-eastern Afghan province of Zabul on the border with Pakistan. Hazara is considered to be the country’s third-largest ethnic group. MEPs are concerned by the deteriorating human rights and security situation in Afghanistan and say that murders of civilian hostages, including women and children, must be treated as war crimes. They call on the government of Afghanistan to intensify cooperation with the government of Pakistan and support an independent investigation into the attack on the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz.

The non-binding resolution was passed by a show of hands.

Procedure: Non-legislative resolutions

REF. : 20151120IPR03620