Human rights breaches in Türkiye, China and Iraq | News

October 10

The case of Bülent Mumay in Turkey

MEPs express their deep concern about the ongoing deterioration of democratic standards in Türkiye, and the targeting of independent journalists, activists and opposition members.

They condemn the sentence against Bülent Mumay and call on the authorities to drop the charges against him and all arbitrarily detained media workers, political opponents, human rights defenders, civil servants and academics. MEPs deplore a complex web of legislation that systematically silences and controls journalists, and denounce the new “foreign agent regulation” to be introduced by the end of 2024.

Parliament calls on Turkish authorities to restore judicial independence, respect press freedom and ensure compliance with international human rights obligations.

The resolution was adopted by show of hands. The full version will be available here (10/10/2024).

The cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas

China must immediately and unconditionally release Ilham Tohti, 2019 Sakharov Prize laureate, and Gulshan Abbas, as well as all those arbitrarily detained in China, MEPs say. They strongly condemn the human rights violations against Uyghurs and people in Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China.

The resolution demands that all internment camps be closed and denounces abusive policies, intense surveillance, forced labour, sterilisation, birth prevention measures and the destruction of the Uyghur identity, which amount to crimes against humanity and constitute a serious risk of genocide. MEPs welcome the EU’s forced labour regulation and call on businesses operating in China to comply with the human rights due diligence obligations.

Parliament calls on the EU and member states to adopt additional sanctions against high-ranking officials and entities involved in human rights violations in China, address transnational repression of Chinese dissidents and Uyghurs, and prosecute the individuals responsible.

The resolution was adopted by 540 votes for, 23 against, and 47 abstentions. The full version will be available here (10/10/2024).

Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law

MEPs urge Iraq’s Parliament to fully and immediately reject the amendments to the Personal Status Law and warn of the consequences of this recent proposal, which violates Iraq’s international obligations on women’s fundamental rights. They praise the women, including Members of the Iraqi Parliament who have condemned the reform, and the NGOs, activists and members of civil society that are fighting to preserve one of the most progressive laws in the region.

They underline that the penal code does not legally protect women and child victims of domestic violence in the country and deplore the fact that the proposed amendments to the law, if enacted, would lead to an even more radical application of Sharia law.

The resolution urges Iraq to adopt a national action plan to eliminate child marriage, criminalise marital rape, fight domestic violence and strengthen women’s and girls’ rights, in line with the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

MEPs call on the EU delegation to Iraq to make development grants conditional on judicial training on sexual and gender-based violence and the establishment of women’s shelters, and demand member states increase their support to women’s and children’s rights defenders in Iraq.

The resolution was adopted by show of hands.
The full version will be available here (10/10/2024).

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