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Human rights: blasphemy in Pakistan; kidnapping in Iraq; war crimes in Serbia
Mariana Andrei - Communication Coordinator
19 January 2015
In November 2014 the European Parliament (EP) adopted three resolutions on human rights: the first appeals to the Pakistani government to revise the legislation on blasphemy; the second condemns the atrocities committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq; and the third takes a stand against the discourse of a person condemned for war crimes in Serbia, instigating to hatred and violence.
The EP members expressed their concern regarding the "controversial laws on blasphemy" in Pakistan, which restrict the freedom of speech and the practices of religious minorities. They appeal to the Pakistani government to revise the laws on blasphemy and their current implementation, so as to guarantee the independence of courts, the state of law and an equitable trial, according to international standards on legal procedures. The members of the parliament request the European Commission to help religious communities and to "put pressure on the Pakistani government to do more for the protection of religious communities."
As regards the kidnapping and mistreatment of women in Iraq, the European members of parliament strongly condemn the atrocities committed by the Islamic State, specifically targeting women, and make appeal to the Iraqi government to ratify the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court in order to allow it to prosecute the war crimes committed by the Islamic State. They also call on the Iraqi government to provide protection for the Iraqis who are in vulnerable situations (such as homosexuals) and ask the European External Action Service and EU member states to have a dialogue with the Gulf countries to fight extremist Islamic "indoctrination".
Vojislav Seselj, accused by war crimes, acts of torture and other crimes committed in Croatia and Serbia in the 1990s and temporarily released from prison for medical grounds, has also raised the concerns of the European Parliament. In his capacity of president of the Serbian Radical Party, Vojislav Seselj's discourse stood out with its "warmongering, incitement to hatred and encouragement of territorial claims and his attempts to derail Serbia from its European path". The EP invites the Serbian authorities to investigate whether Seselj breached Serbian law, to apply the legislation outlawing hate speech, discrimination and incitement to violence and ask the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY, established by the UN in 1993) "to take measures to re-examine the existence of requirements for provisional release under new circumstances".
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/ro/news-room/content/20141121IPR79819/html/Human-rights-blasphemy-in-Pakistan-kidnapping-in-Iraq-war-crimes-in-Serbia
The EP members expressed their concern regarding the "controversial laws on blasphemy" in Pakistan, which restrict the freedom of speech and the practices of religious minorities. They appeal to the Pakistani government to revise the laws on blasphemy and their current implementation, so as to guarantee the independence of courts, the state of law and an equitable trial, according to international standards on legal procedures. The members of the parliament request the European Commission to help religious communities and to "put pressure on the Pakistani government to do more for the protection of religious communities."
As regards the kidnapping and mistreatment of women in Iraq, the European members of parliament strongly condemn the atrocities committed by the Islamic State, specifically targeting women, and make appeal to the Iraqi government to ratify the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court in order to allow it to prosecute the war crimes committed by the Islamic State. They also call on the Iraqi government to provide protection for the Iraqis who are in vulnerable situations (such as homosexuals) and ask the European External Action Service and EU member states to have a dialogue with the Gulf countries to fight extremist Islamic "indoctrination".
Vojislav Seselj, accused by war crimes, acts of torture and other crimes committed in Croatia and Serbia in the 1990s and temporarily released from prison for medical grounds, has also raised the concerns of the European Parliament. In his capacity of president of the Serbian Radical Party, Vojislav Seselj's discourse stood out with its "warmongering, incitement to hatred and encouragement of territorial claims and his attempts to derail Serbia from its European path". The EP invites the Serbian authorities to investigate whether Seselj breached Serbian law, to apply the legislation outlawing hate speech, discrimination and incitement to violence and ask the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY, established by the UN in 1993) "to take measures to re-examine the existence of requirements for provisional release under new circumstances".
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/ro/news-room/content/20141121IPR79819/html/Human-rights-blasphemy-in-Pakistan-kidnapping-in-Iraq-war-crimes-in-Serbia
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