During the EP plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs debates and vote on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Statements on the Children tragedy in Nigeria; 500,000 children on the run from Boko Haram by Mark DEMESMAEKER (ECR, BE), Pier Antonio PANZERI (S&amp;D, IT), Maria HEUBUCH (Greens/EFA, DE), Santiago FISAS AYXEL&Agrave; (EPP, ES), Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), and Christos STYLIANIDES, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, &nbsp;and statements on the case of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr by Aymeric CHAUPRADE (ENF, FR), Richard Stuart HOWITT (S&amp;D, UK),&nbsp; Pavel TELIČKA (ALDE, CZ), and Christos STYLIANIDES, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EU - Nigeria (T)

vote

respect for human rights in the world (T)

VALENCIANO, Elena (S&D, ES)

PANZERI, Pier Antonio (S&D, IT)

TELIČKA, Pavel (ALDE, CZ)

STYLIANIDES, Christos (CY)

DEMESMAEKER, Mark (ECR, BE)

HEUBUCH, Maria (Greens/EFA, DE)

FISAS AYXELÀ, Santiago (EPP, ES)

HOWITT, Richard (S&D, UK)

CHAUPRADE, Aymeric (EFDD, FR)

Debates and votes on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Part 2): Children tragedy in Nigeria and the case of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/14725357/I110047Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

External shot of the European Parliament in Strasbourg

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Mark DEMESMAEKER (ECR, BE), "Today 1.2 million children are drifting through the north-east of Nigeria, defenceless, shatered and traumatised, fleing from the barbaric violence of the nomadic war machine of Boko Haram. Human Right not to mention children's rights are violated, it's the destruction of a whole generation."

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Pier Antonio PANZERI (S&amp;D, IT), "Young people and women have been kidnapped and are victims of forced marriage, physical and psychological abuse, forced labour and rape. Children are used as suicide bombers in public places".

SOUNDBITE (German), Maria HEUBUCH (Greens/EFA, DE), "Alone in the last months Boko Haram has killed almost 1,600 civilians, hundreds of thousands are fleeing, among them, many children. And Nigeria has the biggest number of children by far that don't attend school, because of Boko Haram's terror".

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Santiago FISAS AYXEL&#192; (EPP, ES), "We can't be mere spectators before this horror, we mustn't just condemn these horrible terrorist acts, we should support the new government and the coalition of African states that finally has been constituted to fight the terrorist scourge of Boko Haram".

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), "Of every 3 euros we had committed, we are still owing 2. So we, too, bear responsibility for this. So I'd like to address the European Union and the member states, so they meet their committments".

SOUNDBITE (English), Christos STYLIANIDES, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, "We also see that children are been increasingly used as weapons to carry suicide attacks. This situation is unacceptable and calls for our continued commitment".

SOUNDBITE (French), Aymeric CHAUPRADE (ENF, FR), "Dear colleagues, the young Shia, Ali Mohammed al-Nimr has been condenmed to capital punishment through beheading, followed by crucifixion by the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia. At the time when he was convicted, in 2012, he was 17 and his so-called crime was participating in a demonstration of Shia oposition".

SOUNDBITE (English), Richard Stuart HOWITT (S&amp;D, UK), "It is sickening that my own country's government is bidding to provide services for the very same Saudi prison services which will be responsible for inflicting the death penalty. Britain and our European partners want good relations with Saudi Arabia, but today we must ask if the treatment of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr is consistent with the assurances given about the relationship we have. If those promises are to mean anything, it must mean Ali's life. Ali was a child, let him be a man".

SOUNDBITE (English), Pavel TELI&#268;KA (ALDE, CZ), "I must say that I do appreciate what president Hollande has said. He made a very strong statement on behalf of a country which has traditionally strong ties with Saudi Arabia, he made a very strong statement towards Saudi Arabia. The one statement that I'm missing is a statement and a clear-cut position of Madam Mogherini".

SOUNDBITE (English), Christos STYLIANIDES, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management , "Mr. al-Nimr was a juvenile when he was arrested in 2012, on charges of, inter alia, joining a criminal group and attacking the People's Forces, after he took part in demonstrations in the Eastern province. We have been closely following developments related to his case, as well as the overall Human Rights situation in Saudi Arabia. The basis and conditions of Mr. Ali al-Nimr's sentence, as well as the nature of the punishment handed down to him are matter of strong concern for the European Union".

Vote on children fleeing from Boko Haram. Resolution carried:  656 votes +: 613 -: 12 Abstentions: 31

Vote on Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, carried by a show of hands.