B4-0773/97

Resolution on executions in Abu Dhabi

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the violation of human rights and the abolition of the death penalty,

- having regard to Article J.1(2) of the EU Treaty and Article 130u of the EC Treaty, which provide for the promotion of human rights as an objective of the common foreign and security policy,

- having regard to resolutions1032/96 and 1047/96 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the abolition of the death penalty,

- having regard to the latest UN report on capital punishment (e./CN.15/1996/19),

- having regard to the resolution on capital punishment adopted in Geneva by the 53rd meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights (E./CN.4/1997L.20),

A. appalled at the report concerning the public crucifixion of two convicted persons in Abu Dhabi, according to which an Abu Dhabi court has decided that the two accused, who have been found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, will be crucified in the town of Al Aïnin because the ordinary death penalty is not sufficiently exemplary,

B. stressing that the court's sentence, which was due to be carried out on 9 September 1997, was postponed for 24 hours by local officials to enable as many of the population as possible to gather to watch the crucifixion,

C. noting that the death sentence was upheld yesterday by the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan An- Nahyan,

D. stressing that these sentences were imposed immediately after two British women were sentenced to be beheaded in Saudi Arabia,

E. deeply alarmed at the serious and extensive violations of fundamental human rights in the United Arab Emirates, including the inhuman treatment of prisoners,

F. profoundly concerned at reports from international human rights organizations to the effect that the number of death sentences in Abu Dhabi is increasing rapidly,

G. noting the increase in the use of the death penalty worldwide,

1. Condemns the recent execution in Abu Dhabi and urges that no further executions be carried out;

2. Calls on the governments of the United Arab Emirates to take urgent measures to improve the human rights situation in general;

3. Reiterates its steadfast opposition to the use of capital punishment throughout the world and calls on all countries to abolish the death penalty;

4. Calls on the Council, the Member States and the Commission, acting within the scope of their powers, to submit a resolution to the UN Security Council calling for a worldwide moratorium on the implementation of death sentences;

5. Calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to capital punishment in its annual reports on human rights provisions contained in agreements between the European Union and third countries;

6. Insists that the Council and Commission accentuate this issue in their political contacts with the governments of the United Arab Emirates;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan An-Nahyan, and the governments of the United Arab Emirates.