Situation in Syria European Parliament resolution of 13 September 2012 on Syria (2012/2788(RSP))

3.12.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 353 E/129

Thursday 13 September 2012

Situation in Syria

P7_TA(2012)0351

European Parliament resolution of 13 September 2012 on Syria (2012/2788(RSP))

(2013/C 353 E/16)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on Syria,

— having regard to the Foreign Affairs Council’s conclusions on Syria of 23 July, 25 June, 14 May,

23 April and 23 March 2012; having regard to the European Council’s conclusions on Syria of

29 June 2012,

— having regard to the statements by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the

Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on Syria of 15 March, 14 and 27 April, 27 May, 3 and

18 June, 6, 8 and 20 July, 3, 4, 8 and 18 August, and 5 September 2012,

— having regard to the statements by the Commissioner responsible for International Cooperation,

Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response on Syria of 17 and 31 July and 29 August 2012,

— having regard to the three-day visit of the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross to

Syria from 4 to 6 September 2012,

— having regard to the decision taken on 17 August 2012 by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kimoon and League of Arab States Secretary-General Nabil El Araby to appoint Lakhdar Brahimi as the

new Joint Special Representative for Syria,

— having regard to Council Regulation (EU) No 509/2012 of 15 June 2012 amending Regulation (EU)

No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria, and the subsequent

Council decisions enforcing these measures,

— having regard to UN General Assembly resolution 66/253 of 3 August 2012 on the situation in the

Syrian Arab Republic,

— having regard to UN Human Rights Council resolutions 19/1 of 1 March 2012, S-19/1 of 1 June 2012

and 20/L.22 of 6 July 2012 on the human rights situation in Syria,

— having regard to the report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria of

15 August 2012,

— having regard to the decision taken by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 13 August

2012 of to suspend Syria’s membership,

— having regard to the National Pact and the Common Political Vision for the Transition in Syria issued

following the Syrian opposition conference held under the auspices of the League of Arab States in

Cairo on 2-3 July 2012,

— having regard to the outcome of the Action Group meeting in Geneva on 30 June 2012,

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Thursday 13 September 2012

— having regard to the Annan Plan and United Nations Security Council resolutions 2042, 2043 and

2059,

— having regard to the conclusions and recommendations of ‘The Day After project: Supporting a Demo­

cratic Transition in Syria’, published in August 2012,

— having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

— having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or

Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional

Protocol thereto on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and the Convention on the

Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, to all of which Syria is a party,

— having regard to Rule 110(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas, according to the UN, since the start of the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in Syria

in March 2011, nearly 20 000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed; whereas heavy violence,

such as the use of heavy artillery and shelling against populated areas, and horrific killings by the Syrian

army, security forces and the Shabiha, as well as by various opposition forces, have continuously

increased; whereas there have been several massacres and mass targeted (point-blank) killings of

men, women and children; whereas the use of torture, mass arrests and widespread destruction of

populated areas has dramatically escalated over the last months; whereas cities and towns throughout

Syria are being kept under siege and are being bombarded, inter alia by means of helicopters and fighter

jets, by government-led forces; whereas through the increased militarisation of the conflict the situation

is sliding into civil war;

B.

whereas any further militarisation of the situation in Syria would have a serious impact on its civilian

population, which is already facing a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, and would also

continue to affect the wider region, in particular Jordan and Lebanon, in terms of security and stability,

with unpredictable implications and consequences;

C.

whereas, according to UN estimates, an estimated 5 000 people were killed in August as a result of the

ongoing fighting, which means that over 20 000 people have died since the start of the conflict;

whereas, due to the intensification of the violence and the precarious security and humanitarian

conditions in Syria, neighbouring countries, especially in the last weeks, are assisting a significantly

escalating number of Syrian citizens seeking refuge, particularly in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon;

whereas 235 000 refugees from Syria have been registered or are awaiting registration with the UN

High Commission for Refugees; whereas over 75 % of theses refugees are women and children; whereas

tens of thousands of refugees are not registering; whereas more than 100 000 refugees are believed

to have fled Syria across the borders of Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey at an average rate of

500-2000 per day during August; whereas, according to UN estimates, more than 1,2 million

people have been internally displaced within Syria and around 3 million are in need of urgent humani­

tarian assistance; whereas the Syrian regime has deliberately cut off access to food, water, electricity and

medical supplies to entire communities, such as in Homs and, more recently, in Aleppo; whereas

Turkey has asked the UN Security Council to consider setting up a safe zone for civilians guarded

by neighbouring countries;

D. whereas on 2 August 2012 Kofi Annan announced his resignation as UN-LAS Joint Special Envoy for

Syria as a result of Syrian regime intransigence, increasing armed violence and the failure of a divided

Security Council to rally forcefully behind his efforts to implement the six-point peace plan; whereas

former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi has recently been appointed the new Joint Special

Representative for Syria of the UN and the League of Arab States;

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Thursday 13 September 2012

E.

whereas the Syrian regime has lost all credibility and legitimacy as a representative of the Syrian people;

F.

whereas vetoes by Russia and China have prevented the UN Security Council from adopting a

resolution endorsing the outcome of the efforts of the Action Group for Syria and have prevented

the introduction of the proposed measures to enforce compliance with the six-point Annan Plan under

Article 41 of the UN Charter; whereas the international community has thus so far failed to unite and

give an adequate response to the crisis in Syria;

G. whereas President Bashar al-Assad and his authoritarian regime have no place in the future of Syria;

whereas the President must step down to avoid any further escalation of the crisis and to allow a

peaceful and democratic transition to take place in the country; whereas several former political and

military leaders of the regime as well as ambassadors have defected to neighbouring countries and

beyond;

H. whereas a credible alternative is needed to the current regime; whereas this alternative should be

inclusive and representative of the diversity of Syrian society and should fully respect the universal

values of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, with special regard for

the rights of ethnic, cultural and religious minorities and of women; whereas the establishment of an

inclusive and representative provisional government by opposition forces may contribute to this alter­

native;

I.

whereas the EU has imposed targeted sanctions on Syria in several rounds, and has further strengthened

its arms embargo against Syria; whereas despite an EU embargo in force on weapons, munitions and

other military equipments, as well as a ban on the export of monitoring technologies, several reported

incidents involving arms shipments through EU waters and leaked details of business transactions

between EU companies and various Syrian entities, groups and persons, covered by the EU’s sanctions,

have indicated the EU’s internal incompetence to implement its own decisions and regulations;

J.

whereas various external actors and states, either directly or through regional channels and neigh­

bouring countries, continue to actively support all the parties to the conflict, with financial, operational,

logistical and tactical support and aid, including the supply of weapons, munitions and all other types

of military equipment, the provision of logistical assistance, the provision of communication tools and

all kinds of assistance that may be used for military purposes, highlighting the pan-regional nature of

the conflict; whereas further militarisation of the conflict can only bring greater suffering to the Syrian

people and the region as a whole;

K.

whereas the Commission announced on 7 September 2012 that an additional EUR 50 million in

humanitarian assistance would be mobilised to support people in need of such assistance within

Syria and those crossing the borders; whereas according to ECHO the EU has already provided

EUR 142 million and the total EU assistance, including aid from Member States, amounts to about

EUR 224 million;

L.

whereas Syrian opposition representatives have held several meetings over the past months with the

aim of overcoming internal divergences and creating a united front, and issued a ‘National Pact’ and a

‘Common Political Vision for the Transition in Syria’, as well as the conclusions and recommendations

of ‘The Day After project: Supporting a Democratic Transition in Syria’; whereas, despite all efforts,

internal divisions and tensions within this opposition persist;

M. whereas, on 1 July 2012, the Action Group for Syria, meeting in Geneva, agreed on principles and

guidelines for a Syrian-led transition which includes the establishment of a transitional government

body exercising full executive powers;

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1.

Reiterates its condemnation in the strongest possible terms of the ever increasing use of indiscriminate

violence by President Assad’s regime against the Syrian civilian population, in particular the targeted killing

of children and women and mass executions in villages; expresses its deepest concern at the gravity of the

human rights violations and possible crimes against humanity authorised and/or perpetrated by the Syrian

authorities, the Syrian army, security forces and affiliated militias; condemns the summary extrajudicial

executions and all other forms of human rights violations committed by groups and forces opposing the

Assad regime;

2.

Applauds the efforts of neighbouring countries in hosting and providing humanitarian relief to

refugees from Syria and calls for increased international support and assistance in this context; stresses

the crucial importance of finding a sustainable response to the humanitarian crisis both within Syria and

among refugees from Syria in neighbouring countries; urges neighbouring countries to continue to provide

protection to refugees from Syria and displaced persons and to refrain, in line with their international

obligations, from expelling and returning any such persons to Syria; calls on the EU to take appropriate

responsible measures regarding the possible influx of refugees into its Members States; stresses the need to

cooperate with the Red Cross; welcomes the EU’s readiness to offer additional support, including financial

resources, to help neighbouring countries, including Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, to host the increasing

number of refugees from Syria, and urges the EU and its Member States to step up their efforts to find

alternative ways to deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of Syria, in spite all the obstacles and

difficulties;

3.

Calls on the Syrian regime to allow the swift provision of humanitarian assistance and full access to

humanitarian organisations and the international media Syria, and to facilitate the implementation of

humanitarian pauses in order to allow the safe delivery of humanitarian aid; stresses again that international

humanitarian law must be fully respected by all those involved in the crisis; stresses that medical attention

should never be withheld from those who are injured and in need of help, and calls on all the parties

involved to protect civilians, allow full and unimpeded access to food, water, electricity and refrain from

using all forms of intimidation and violence against patients, doctors, medics and aid workers;

4.

Extends its condolences to the families of the victims; reiterates its solidarity with the Syrian people’s

struggle for freedom, dignity and democracy, and applauds their courage and determination, especially with

regard to women;

5.

Calls on all armed actors to put an immediate end to violence in Syria; calls on the Syrian

Government to withdraw the Syrian army from besieged towns and cities without delay, to immediately

release all detained protesters, political prisoners, human rights defenders, bloggers and journalists;

6.

Deplores the fact that the UN Security Council has failed to act and has not agreed on a resolution to

add more robust and effective pressure in order to end the violence in Syria; reiterates its call on UN

Security Council members, in particular Russia and China, to uphold their responsibility to put an end to

the violence and repression against the Syrian people, including by supporting forced compliance with

UNSC resolutions 2042 and 2043; continues to support the efforts of the EU and its Member States in this

regard; calls on the VP/HR to do her utmost to secure the adoption of a UNSC resolution, exerting effective

diplomatic pressure on both Russia and China;

7.

Stresses that the EU should stand ready to adopt further measures and to continue to explore within

the UNSC all options within the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) framework, in close cooperation with the

US, Turkey and the League of Arab States in order to assist the Syrian people and to halt the bloodshed;

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Thursday 13 September 2012

8.

Supports calls by several opposition groups and the Turkish Government to establish safe havens

along the Turkish-Syrian border, and possibly within Syria, as well as the creation of humanitarian corridors

by the international community; calls on the VP/HR to intensify discussions with Turkey, the Arab League

and the Syrian opposition on the establishment of these safe havens to take in Syrian refugees and allow

those persecuted by the regime to find refuge and protection;

9.

Reiterates its call for President Assad and his regime to step aside immediately, so as to allow a

peaceful, inclusive and democratic Syrian-led transition to take place as soon as possible;

10.

Calls on all parties to agree on (local) ceasefires as soon as possible, so as to allow a broader

negotiated and meaningful ceasefire;

11.

Expresses its concern about further militarisation of the conflict and sectarian violence; notes the role

of different regional actors, including the delivery of arms, and is concerned about the spill-over effects of

the Syrian conflict in neighbouring countries; calls on the Council to consider the adoption of additional

restrictive measures against external actors and groups involved in operations on the ground to actively

support the Bashar al-Assad regime;

12.

Condemns the Syrian regime’s expressed intention to use chemical weapons against ‘external terrorist

threats’, reminds President Assad of his government’s obligations under the Geneva protocol on the non-use

of chemical weapons and calls on the Syrian authorities to rigorously abide by their international

obligations;

13.

Supports the EU’s ongoing efforts to step up the pressure on President Assad’s regime through

restrictive measures, calls on the EU to consider broadening the scope of its restrictive measures to

external entities or groups that undisputedly provide or facilitate crucial financial and operational

support to the Syrian authorities;

14.

Welcomes the decision of the Islamic Summit Conference of 14-15 August 2012 to suspend the

Syrian Arab Republic’s membership of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and all its subsidiary organs,

specialised and affiliated institutions;

15.

Welcomes the efforts made by Syrian opposition representatives to create a united front of

opposition forces, as well as the recently issued ‘National Pact’, ‘Common Political Vision for the Transition

in Syria’, and conclusions and recommendations of ‘The Day After project: Supporting a Democratic

Transition in Syria’; encourages the Syrian opposition to continue on this path with the aim of creating

a credible alternative to the regime and urges the VP/HR and EU Member States to make every effort to

unify the Syrian opposition; welcomes the strong support shown by Turkey; Lebanon and Jordan for the

Syrian population; urges the VP/HR to make every effort to start discussions with the authorities of Turkey,

Lebanon and Jordan, the Arab League and the Syrian opposition on preparing the peaceful transition for the

post-Assad Syria;

16.

Reiterates its strong endorsement of the call by the UN Human Rights Commissioner for a referral by

the UNSC of the situation in Syria to the ICC for a formal investigation; strongly commits itself to ensure

that all those responsible for human rights violations and violations of international law will be identified

and held accountable; strongly supports the work of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry

on Syria, which is aimed at investigating all violations of international human rights and humanitarian law

committed in the country so as to ensure that those responsible are held to account, and calls on EU

Member States during the 21st session of the UNHRC to ensure that the Commission can continue its work

with adequate reinforcements if necessary;

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Thursday 13 September 2012

17.

Calls for a peaceful and genuine Syrian-led political transition to democracy which meets the

legitimate demands of the Syrian people and is based on an inclusive dialogue involving all democratic

forces and components within Syrian society, with a view to launching a process of deep democratic

reform, that also takes account of the need to ensure national reconciliation and is committed to

ensuring respect for the rights and freedoms of minorities including ethnic, religious, cultural and other

minorities;

18.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President

of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the

governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of the Russian Feder­

ation, the Government and Parliament of the People’s Republic of China, the Government and Parliament of

the Republic of Turkey, the Government and Consultative Assembly of the State of Qatar, the Government

and House of Representatives of the United States of America, the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia, the Government and Parliament of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Government

and Parliament of the Republic of Lebanon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the

Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and the Government and Parliament of the Syrian Arab

Republic.

Political use of justice in Russia

P7_TA(2012)0352

European Parliament resolution of 13 September 2012 on the political use of justice in Russia

(2012/2789(RSP))

(2013/C 353 E/17)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its previous reports and resolutions on Russia, in particular its resolutions of 15 March

2012 (1) on the outcome of the presidential elections in Russia, of 16 February 2012 (2) on the

upcoming presidential election in Russia, of 14 December 2011 (3) on the State Duma elections and

of 7 July 2011 (4) on the preparations for the Russian State Duma elections in December 2011,

— having regard to the ongoing negotiations for a new agreement providing a new comprehensive

framework for EU-Russia relations, as well as to the ‘Partnership for Modernisation’ initiated in 2010,

— having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to the Convention for the

Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which states that everyone shall be entitled to a

fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law,

— having regard to the Constitution of Russia, in particular Article 118 thereof, which states that justice in

the Russian Federation shall be administered by courts alone, and Article 120 thereof, which provides

that judges are independent and are subordinate only to the Russian Constitution and the federal law,

— having regard to the Statement of 17 August 2012 by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the

sentencing of ‘Pussy Riot’ punk band members in Russia,

— having regard to the request by the Russian Prosecutor-General to vote on early dismissal of the Just

Russia Member of the Duma Gennady Gutkov on 12 September 2012,

(1) Texts adopted, P7_TA(2012)0088.

(2) Text adopted, P7_TA(2012)0054

(3) Text adopted, P7_TA(2011)0575.

(4) Text adopted, P7_TA(2011)0335.

3.12.2013

قرار من البرلمان الأوروبي حول سورية، يدين العنف ويطالب بانتقال سياسي، ويدعو إلى دعم اللاجئين في دول الجوار ومحاسبة مرتكبي الجرائم.