European Parliament resolution of 26 April 2007 on the kidnapping in Gaza of the journalist Alan Johnston
Date: 2007-04-26
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Palestine, communications profession, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, illegal restraint

C 74 E/786

Official Journal of the European Union

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20.3.2008

Thursday 26 April 2007

Calls on the Russian authorities to order an investigation into the human rights violations that took

3.
place at both rallies and to identify and bring to justice those responsible for the violations;

Encourages the Russian State Duma to set up a working group to investigate why such force was used

4.
against peaceful demonstrators;

5.
Urges the Commission and the Council to express those concerns clearly in their contacts with the
Russian Government, in particular during the next EU-Russian Summit, to be held on 18 May 2007 in
Samara;

6.
Calls on the Russian leadership to do its utmost to avoid any repetition of those regrettable events, in
particular in the run-up to the next presidential and Duma elections, and to guarantee all political parties
and movements a chance to take part in the democratic process; calls on the Central Election Commission
and on the Russian judiciary to be vigilant, objective and impartial in scrutinising the campaign and election
processes;

7.
Is deeply disturbed by an emerging pattern of use of excessive force by the Russian authorities towards
opposition activists, which raises deep concern as regards democracy and respect for human rights in the
Russian Federation;

Reiterates its call for the EU-Russia Human Rights Dialogue to be stepped up so as to make it more
levels, with a view to

8.
effective and result-oriented, while fully involving the European Parliament at all
strengthening that element in the new PCA, which is due to be negotiated soon;

9.
Emphasises that, in order to achieve visible progress as regards democracy in Russia, the EU common
policy and Member States' bilateral relations with Russia should be guided by jointly agreed principles and
common positions;

10.
Urges the Russian authorities to fully respect, during the run-up to the parliamentary and presidential
elections, the democratic standards and principles laid down by the Organisation for Security and Coopera-
tion in Europe and the Council of Europe; calls on the Council of Europe to investigate the human rights
violations that took place at the rallies in Moscow and St Petersburg;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Council of

11.
Europe and the Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation.

P6_TA(2007)0170

Kidnapping in Gaza of the journalist Alan Johnston

European Parliament resolution of 26 April 2007 on the kidnapping in Gaza of the journalist
Alan Johnston

The European Parliament,

— having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas BBC journalist Alan Johnston was abducted at gunpoint on 12 March 2007 while returning

home in Gaza City and his whereabouts have remained unknown since that date,

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B. whereas Mr Johnston has remained in Gaza for the past three years during a period of increased

violence, precisely to report on what is happening in Gaza to the outside world,

Thursday 26 April 2007

C. whereas the Palestinian media community, public and politicians from all sides have condemned the
kidnapping and are calling for his immediate release and an end to all kidnappings, proving the extent
to which his work is appreciated by the local population,

D. whereas the Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has confirmed publicly that there
is credible evidence that Mr Johnston is alive, that he is being held in secure conditions and that there is
some information as to which group is holding him,

E. whereas no group has claimed responsibility for Mr Johnston's abduction, which has been condemned

by President Abbas and all the heads of the leading Palestinian movements,

F. whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and the Inter-
national Federation of Journalists (IFJ), 15 foreign journalists have been kidnapped in the Gaza Strip
since August 2005, and thousands of journalists around the world face the threat of kidnapping, vio-
lence and intimidation on a daily basis,

G. whereas the BBC retains a justified reputation as one of the world's leading broadcasters, upholding the

values of impartiality, objectivity and fairness in its reporting,

H. whereas press freedom is of primary importance for democracy and respect for humans rights and
fundamental freedoms, given its essential role in guaranteeing the free expression of opinions and
ideas and in contributing to people's effective participation in democratic processes;

Calls for Mr Johnston to be immediately and unconditionally released unharmed and returned to

1.
safety;

2.
Expresses its warm support for Mr Johnston's family in these difficult circumstances, and for his BBC
colleagues and management, who have been campaigning tirelessly to build public and political support for
his release;

3.
Pays tribute to Mr Johnston's record as a journalist of the highest integrity, with a record of sixteen
years working for the BBC and, in particular, the past three years spent in Gaza, where he has been the only
permanently-based foreign journalist from a major media organisation;

4.
Expresses solidarity with the IFJ and its member unions, including the Palestinian Journalists' Syndi-
cate, in their efforts to secure Mr Johnston's release and their campaign for a new global commitment to
ending threats to independent journalism; recalls in this regard the appeal delivered by the IFJ to the leaders
of the Palestinian National Authority on 19 April 2007, with the signatures of 197 Members of the Euro-
pean Parliament;

5.
Calls on the Palestinian National Authority to redouble its efforts to secure Mr Johnston's speedy
release, to ensure that journalists in Gaza are able to carry out their duties free from the threat of kidnap
and harassment and to ensure that all attacks against journalists and other civilians are investigated thor-
oughly and those responsible brought to justice;

6.
Calls on the European Commission's Technical Assistance Office to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the
diplomatic representatives of the EU Member States and the High Representative for the Common Foreign
and Security Policy (CFSP) to strengthen and coordinate their efforts to secure Mr Johnston's release and
support the Palestinian National Authority's efforts in this regard;

C 74 E/788

Official Journal of the European Union

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Thursday 26 April 2007

7.
Condemns this and all other acts of violence and intimidation against the free exercise of journalism
and freedom of expression; stresses that the safety of journalists must be treated as a priority by all those
attached to an open and democratic society and to progress towards peace everywhere, in line with the
unanimously agreed United Nations Security Council Resolution S/RES/1738 (2006) adopted on 23 Decem-
ber 2006;

8.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Represen-
tative for the CFSP, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the President of the Palestinian
National Authority, the Palestinian Legislative Council and the UN Secretary-General.

P6_TA(2007)0171

Human rights situation in the Philippines

European Parliament resolution of 26 April 2007 on the human rights situation in the Philippines

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Report of the independent Commission to Address Media and Activist Killings,
chaired by Justice Jose Melo (the Melo Commission), which was released on 22 February 2007,

— having regard to the preliminary report by Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, sum-

mary or arbitrary executions,

— having regard to the statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of
human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Martin Scheinin, of 12 March
2007,

— having regard to the pledges the Philippine Government gave to the international community prior to

its election to the UN Human Rights Council,

— having regard to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treat-
ment or Punishment of 1984, as ratified by the Philippines on 18 June 1986, and its First and Second
Optional Protocols allowing, respectively,
individual complaints and visits to detention facilities by
independent bodies,

— having regard to the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced

Disappearance of 2006,

— having regard to the Congressional and local elections in the Philippines scheduled for 14 May 2007,

and the EU observer mission to be deployed,

— having regard to the 16th EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Joint Co-Chairmen's Statement of 15 March

2007,

— having regard to the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of Foreign Ministers scheduled for 28 and 29 May

2007 in Hamburg,