Leden Europees Parlement over mensenrechten: Eritrese vluchtelingen in Sinaï, anti-homosexualiteit in Oeganda en lijfstraffen in Maleisië (en)

Following the last plenary debate of this year on human rights issues, MEPs adopted resolutions on the plight of Eritrean refugees held hostage in Sinai, discrimination against the LGBT population in Uganda and the practice of caning in Malaysia.

In a plenary resolution on the situation of Eritrean refugees held hostage by human traffickers in Sinai, MEPs welcome the ongoing efforts by the Egyptian authorities in verifying the information mentioned in the reports issued by the UNHCR i regarding a group of some 250 Eritreans being held hostage in Sinai.

Parliament urges the Egyptian authorities to take all necessary measures to secure the release of Eritreans held hostage but to avoid the use of lethal force against illegal migrants crossing the borders of the country. Furthermore, they should protect migrants' dignity and physical and psychological integrity, guarantee that detained migrants can contact the UNHCR and allow the UNHCR access to all asylum seekers and refugees in state custody, say MEPs.

While welcoming Egypt's efforts in combating human trafficking and in fulfilling its obligations under international treaties, in particular under the 1951 Refugees Convention, MEPs stress that any refugee who participates in acts threatening, directly or indirectly, the safety and independence of the host country, should be considered a threat to its national security according to UNHCR terms.

Anti-Homosexual Bill in Uganda

In light of the so-called 'Bahati bill' Parliament reiterates its commitment to universal human rights and denounces any attempt to incite hatred and advocate violence towards any minority group, including on grounds of sex or sexual orientation.

Last year, member of the Ugandan Parliament David Bahati tabled an Anti-Homosexual Bill, which foresees the punishment of homosexual acts by imprisonment between seven years and life or the death penalty. Should this bill pass into law, some EU Member States have already threatened to revoke their development aid to Uganda.

Condemning the bill, MEPs urge the Ugandan authorities not to approve it but rather to review their laws so as to decriminalise homosexuality and decriminalise marginalised groups, including LGBT activists. An anti-homosexuality law would be also extremely detrimental in the fight against HIV/AIDS, they point out.

In this context, Parliament also once again strongly rejects any move to introduce the use of the death penalty "under any circumstances".

In Africa homosexuality is legal in only 13 countries and a criminal offence in 38 countries. Mauritania, Sudan and northern Nigeria punish homosexuality by death.

Caning in Malaysia

Despite the fact that under international law corporal punishment is "clearly illegal" and "amounts to torture", Malaysian law not only provides for punishment by caning (known as 'whipping') for at least 66 offences but Malaysian authorities have in recent years even further expanded the list of offences punishable by caning to include illegal entry into the country and drug abuse, stress MEPs in their resolution.

Strongly condemning all forms of corporal punishment including caning, which they classify as "a remnant of colonial rule", MEPs urges Malaysia to enact a moratorium on caning and all forms of corporal punishment in all cases, with a view to their abolition in law and in practice.

Furthermore, Parliament calls on Malaysia, as a member of UN Human Rights Council, to ratify the UN Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol and to amend Malaysian law so that immigration offences are treated as administrative offences, rather than crimes punishable by imprisonment or corporal punishment, and that drug-related offences are no longer punishable by caning.