Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law &nbsp;during the EP Plenary session (18-21/01) in Strasbourg. Statements on EU citizens under detention in India, notably Italian, Estonian and UK citizens by Tunne KELAM (EPP, EE), rapporteur, Mario BORGHEZIO (ENF, IT), Geoffrey VAN ORDEN (ECR, UK), Nirj DEVA (ECR, UK) and Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development. Statements on Ethiopia by Jordi SEBASTIA (Greens/EFA, ES), Marie-Christine VERGIAT (GUE/NGL, FR) and Neven MIMICA. Statements on North Korea by Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL) and Neven MIMICA

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Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law: Ethiopia - North Korea - EU citizens under detention in India, notably Italian, Estonian and UK citizens

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EU citizens under detention in India, notably Italian, Estonian and UK citizens:

SOUNDBITE (English), Tunne KELAM (EPP, EE), rapporteur, We are not here today to question the Indian sovereignty or legal system. It is the gesture of good will to relive, in an atmosphere of mutual friendship and sympathy, the desperate situation of 20 men's who spend two and a half years away from their families. I think, standing up for fundamental rights of EU citizens is not something extraordinary. It is a sacred right and duty of Members of Parliament to voice a tragedy and concerns of our fellow citizens. Supporting and protecting our citizens can never become dependent of diplomatic schedules or timetable.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Mario BORGHEZIO (ENF, IT), The EU should also defend their military honour because these charges of course are blemish their military honour. Why has this occurred? Maybe because the military honour of its citizens isn't something the EU is very interested in. I think this is something to act in, this is a very unfortunate incident and now, fortunately there is international arbitration, but this should have happened before.

SOUNDBITE (English), Geoffrey VAN ORDEN (ECR, UK), After some legal arguments and to our great consternation they were eventually got to trial and given the maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment. Through this period of over two years, they have been held in custody in India. Mr President, I have to say that we respect Indian's sovereignty over its territory and waters and the fact that she has a fine legal tradition. We know also that India has suffered from atrocious terrorist attacks, some mounted from the sea. We therefore understand very well Indian's sensitivities. However in this case, the personnel concerned where no threat to India, and carry out no violence acts against India's interests, on the contrary they were engaged on counterterrorism.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nirj DEVA (ECR, UK), It is quite absurd for the Indian authorities to in sentencing these people to treat everyone the same. Owner ship captain direct the course of the action of the ship . He told the crew to go to get diesel from India and the crew have to obey. If the crew have disobey, they would have been shut, for mutiny. If they obey, they are in prison by the Indian authorities, who don't seem to understand the distinction between a group of people obey orders and not.

SOUNDBITE (English), Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development, The EU has been regularly raising this issues, for the past four years, at all levels with Indian interlocutors, with the same main message, advocating rapid and consensual solution, in respect with international law. Respect of international law means not only full compliance with the UN Convention on the law of the sea, but also with the UN convention on human rights.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Jordi SEBASTI&#192; (Greens/EFA, ES), The starting point is very clear, what we want to denounce here is the government crackdown on peaceful protesters of pastoralists and farmers. They were protesting because the government was trying to change the municipal borders of Addis Ababa. This change would have had a huge impact on their lives. The peaceful protests where repressed very violently and apparently more than 140 people died.

SOUNDBITE (French), Marie-Christine VERGIAT (GUE/NGL, FR), There is a humanitarian catastrophe coming up. We will need more humanitarian aid, particularly for 5 million children starving. The country has more than 800,000 refugees, and it is symptomatic of many of the countries of the region which have becoming countries of transit and reception. The Khartoum process is supposed to help in dealing with the migratory process but I have doubts about that, embezzlement of the humanitarian aid in favour of European obsession of returning the migrants.

SOUNDBITE (English), Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development, We called for clarity in all acts of violence and abuses perpetrated against protesters, as well as accountability for such violations. We have raised these concerns to Ethiopian authorities in Addis Ababa and more recently in Brussels , when Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Tedros Adhanom came to visit the ugh representative and vice president Mogherini on 13 January.

SOUNDBITE (English), Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL), The hydrogen bomb test in North Korea performed in early January has been condemned by the Council and the UN Security Council. We too strongly condemn the test which is a direct threat to stability and peace on the Korean peninsula. Further provocation should be avoided at all costs, by abandoning nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, and sustainably an end should be thought to the provocations trough the six parties talks which is to be resumed. Another key point of our concerns is the human rights situation, and the humanitarian situation are very, very dire. People face systematic repression and the Commission of inquiry has established that crimes against humanity were perpetrated.

SOUNDBITE (English), Neven MIMICA, The situation calls for urgent, systematic and structural changes in the North Korea. This is a moral and legal imperative, but also a very practical necessity. The situation as its stands is a recipe for long term regional instability. I would like to recall some of the findings of the Commission of inquiry who even points on possible crimes against humanity. For that reason the EU has supported the recommendation that the UN Security Council refers the situation in North Korea do the international criminal court.

Data do evento	21/01/2016
Reference:	I115127V
Format:	16:9 format
Copyright:	© European Union
copyrightYear:	2016

Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law: Ethiopia - North Korea - EU citizens under detention in India, notably Italian, Estonian and UK citizens

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