European Parliament Condemns Human Rights Violations in Afghanistan, Belarus, and Cuba: Calls for Sanctions and International Accountability

Violations of human rights in Afghanistan, Belarus, and Cuba

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The European Parliament approved three resolutions addressing human rights concerns in Afghanistan, Belarus, and Cuba on Thursday.

The European Parliament has strongly criticized the worsening conditions for women in Afghanistan following the implementation of the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law. They have condemned the Taliban's recent decree enforcing Sharia law, which has effectively removed women and girls from public life. According to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), women are being coerced into early marriages, subjected to sexual violence, and face brutal punishments such as flogging and stoning to death. The MEPs praised the bravery of Afghan women and expressed their solidarity with them.

Furthermore, MEPs are urging the European Union to advocate for the recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity. They are calling for the Taliban's de facto authorities to be held accountable through an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the creation of a United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism. They also demand that the EU impose new sanctions on the Taliban and denounce any governments that support the Taliban by normalizing relations with them. The resolution also calls for the EU and donor countries to boost humanitarian aid and funding to meet basic needs, support livelihoods, and aid Afghan civil society.

The resolution was passed with 565 votes supporting it, 8 opposing it, and 43 abstaining. More information will be accessible here (19;09. 2024). Members of the European Parliament are extremely worried about the plight of numerous political prisoners in Belarus. Many of these prisoners have been out of contact for months, suffer from serious health issues, or endure isolation and torture. The MEPs call on Belarusian officials to provide updates on these prisoners' conditions and grant them access to legal counsel, family, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Belarusian authorities must release all detained individuals without delay or conditions, European Parliament members urge. The resolution also expresses the lawmakers' worries about the 300,000 Belarusians who have been compelled to flee their country since 2020 due to political persecution. The MEPs appeal to the EU and its member nations to intensify sanctions against those responsible for the oppression in Belarus and to pursue accountability for the Lukashenka regime's actions. The resolution passed with 549 votes in favor, 21 against, and 37 abstentions. Further information can be found in the complete document available here (19;09).

In 2024, the European Parliament is calling on the Cuban government to free José Daniel Ferrer García and all individuals detained for political reasons, urging their release to be immediate and without conditions. These detentions have occurred as a result of individuals exercising their rights to free speech and peaceful protest. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have expressed their support for the Cuban populace and human rights advocates within the country. They have strongly condemned the ongoing human rights abuses, including torture and inhumane treatment, carried out by Cuban authorities against Ferrer García and other political detainees.

MEPs are urging the European Union member states to enforce the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime and to impose penalties on those accountable for the continuous human rights violations in Cuba. Furthermore, they reiterate their stance that the suspension clause of the political dialogue and cooperation agreement should be activated, due to the Cuban regime's repeated violations of the agreement's fundamental human rights provisions.

The resolution passed with 380 votes supporting it, 182 opposing it, and 51 abstentions. More information can be found in the complete version available here on September 19, 2024.

Contacts:

Elodie LABORIE

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