WRITTEN QUESTION E-2955/03 by Maurizio Turco (NI) and Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission. Yet another case of persecution of homosexuals in Egypt.
Date: 2003-10-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Egypt, arrest, cooperation policy, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, human rights

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/123

(2004/C 88 E/0130)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2953/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) and Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission

Subject: Sentence of death by stoning in Nigeria

(8 October 2003)

Mr Jibrin Babaji, a Nigerian citizen aged 20, has been found guilty of sexual relations with three underage
boys and has been sentenced to death by stoning. The sentence was handed down on Tuesday,
23 September 2003 by an Islamic court in Bauchi state, under the Sharia penal code.

Does the Commission have further information on the matter? What measures does it intend to take, in
line with the European positions in favour of a moratorium on the death penalty worldwide, to ensure that
this death sentence is not executed?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2003)

The Commission has followed closely appeals against death sentences passed by Sharia courts. It is
encouraging to note that in some well-publicised recent cases those sentenced have been acquitted on
appeal (Amina Lawal in Katsina and Safiya Husseini in Sokoto). The Commission is aware of the case of
Jibril Babaji and expects to receive more details from Heads of Mission in Abuja.

The Commission unreservedly opposes the use of the death sentence. Where the death penalty still exists,
the Union calls for its use to be progressively restricted, and where relevant,
for moratoria to be
introduced. The Troika made a démarche on the application of
the death penalty in Nigeria on
12 February 2002.

Moreover, the Commission encourages governments to comply with international standards on human
rights and to respect civil liberties without discrimination. The Commission seeks to end the practice in
certain countries of public and particularly cruel executions.

As stated in several Council conclusions on Nigeria political dialogue is considered a constructive
mechanism for raising human rights issues and questions concerning the death penalty. The Commission
will also be guided by the Cotonou Agreement, for which an essential element is respect for human rights.

(2004/C 88 E/0131)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2955/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) and Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission

Subject: Yet another case of persecution of homosexuals in Egypt

(8 October 2003)

The European Parliament has on numerous occasions forcibly condemned the persecution campaign being
waged against homosexuals in Egypt, and has called on the Commission and Council to take concrete and
progressive measures vis-à-vis the Egyptian institutions. On 28 August 2003, 62 men presumed to be
homosexual were arrested on the Qsr el Nil bridge in Egypt in the course of a raid by Cairo police, who
surrounded the bridge, verbally abused the men and arrested them. The victims were imprisoned for three
days, charged with ‘depraved practices’, obliged to sign statements of guilt, and released after being forced
to give their addresses. The hearings will be held in November and December 2003.

Is the Commission aware of these arrests? Does it intend to take concrete and progressive measures, in line
with Parliament’s repeated demands, with regard to Egypt on the subject of the severe persecution
campaign which homosexuals have now been suffering from there for years?

C 88 E/124

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(5 November 2003)

The Commission has carefully monitored alleged incidences of persecution of homosexuals in Egypt. It has
raised its concerns with the Egyptian authorities both on the Queen Boat case itself, and on the related
issue of police harassment on several occasions as requested in the Parliament’s Resolution of 10 April
2003.

There have been recently some welcome developments, notably the release of
the
defendants and the transfer of the proceedings from the security courts to the normal court system. But
the Honourable Members can rest assured that our Delegation in Cairo, together with the Member State
embassies, will continue to follow this case as well as the cases of the 62 men arrested on 28 August.
Likewise, the Commission will continue to raise these issues with the Egyptian Authorities whenever
appropriate.

twenty-nine of

The institutions of the Union-Egypt Association Agreement (still pending ratification from various Member
States) will provide a useful additional forum to discuss a range of human rights issues.

the Honourable Member knows, on 22 May 2003,

In addition, as
the Commission issued a
Communication on ‘Re-invigorating Union actions on Human Rights and democratisation with the
Mediterranean partners’, with the aim of working constructively to prompt concrete progress on human
rights issues. This communication is now being considered by the Council and Parliament.

(2004/C 88 E/0132)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2988/03

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) and Jan Dhaene (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(9 October 2003)

Subject: Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan

On 21 May 2003, the Commission published the FLEGT Action Plan. Various NGOs involved with this
issue, as well as a number of Member States which have taken the lead in the worldwide campaign to stop
illegal logging, regard that document as an important step forward and as a point of departure for further
legislative activity.

However, after the document (1) had been published, nothing more was heard, and we have the impression
that the Commission took no further measures for the implementation of the Action Plan.

What objectives does the Commission want to attain, and within what timescale, in order to implement
the FLEGT Action Plan? Within that timescale, what are the key activities between now and June 2004?

Which DG will be responsible for the implementation of the Action Plan, and what resources are available
for that purpose?

Is the Commission planning further legislation in connection with the problems addressed by FLEGT?

Illegal logging is a fairly significant problem in the accession countries as well. Is the Commission planning
to take specific measures with a view to solving the problem in those countries, both before and after
accession?

(1) COM(2003) 251.