WRITTEN QUESTION E-0506/02 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission. Sentence of death by stoning in Sudan.
Date: 2002-02-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Sudan, death penalty, marriage, penalty, right of action, ruling

17.4.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 92 E/11

population who practise freely the Christian or Buddhist religions. There remain, however, issues on which
further progress is needed, as well as a number of individual cases of concern.

The Commission Delegation in Hanoi and the diplomatic missions of the Member States raise on an
ongoing basis issues of concern in relation to human rights, as well as individual cases. In addition, the
human rights situation was discussed during the Union-Vietnam Joint Commission in Hanoi on
6 November 2001 and again raised during the donors Consultative Group Meeting in Hanoi on
7-8 December 2001.

(2003/C 92 E/013)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0506/02

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(22 February 2002)

Subject: Sentence of death by stoning in Sudan

According to information from Human Rights Watch, on 8 December 2001, a criminal court in the town
of Nyala in southern Sudan sentenced 18-year-old Abok Alfa Akok, who was pregnant at the time, to
death by stoning for adultery, whereas the man with whom she had sexual relations was not convicted
because of a lack of evidence. The Sudanese Government, it should be recalled, ratified the International
Convention on Civil and Political Rights in March 1986 which prohibits the carrying out of the death
penalty on a pregnant woman.

the Commission exert pressure on the Sudanese Government

Will
international
commitments, refrain from carrying out the death penalty by stoning and hold a new trial in accordance
with legal procedures which ensure that Ms Abok Alfa Akok has legal representation in court and recourse
to the language that she understands?

to honour

its

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2002)

The Commission (cid:1) through its Delegation in Sudan (cid:1) has been active on this issue and contacts have
been taken with the Sudanese authorities. It is clear that the international community’s action has been
influential. The Court of appeal in Southern Darfur overturned the sentence of death by stoning and sent
the case back to the lower criminal court in Nyala for new sentencing where Ms Akok was given 75 lashes.

However, Ms Akok’s lawyer has launched an appeal to the high court on the grounds that the sentence
was given and immediately executed, thus making it impossible for Ms Akok to seek legal advice and
preventing her from exercising any right of appeal. So far, the lawyer did not receive any answer.

The Sudanese government ratified the international covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) in March
1976. However, Sudan has not yet ratified the second optional protocol to the CCPR, aiming at the
abolition of the death penalty. The Commission will also continue to follow the issue of the international
obligations of Sudan.

(2003/C 92 E/014)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0519/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(25 February 2002)

Subject: Persistent systematic measures to combat the use of the Kurdish language and the election of

Kurdish members of parliament in Turkey

1.
Is the Commission aware that, although at the end of 2001 the Republic of Turkey amended its
Constitution so as to give the impression that the public use of the Kurdish language, which is spoken by
the vast majority of the population in the south-east, is now permitted, the provision of education in that