The European Parliament,

- recalling its previous resolutions on the status and treatment of refugees following the Gulf conflict,

- recalling the terms of the ceasefire,

- recalling the international effort to secure the freedom and security of the Kurdish population in Northern Iraq, the policy of safe havens and the generosity of Western aid donors,

1. Deplores the situation in which it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of displaced persons remain in emergency shelter in southern Iran and many thousands in southern Iraq, as well as half a million Palestinians now in Jordan;

2. Demands an end to operations by military helicopters by the Iraqi regime, the harassment by ground forces of refugees in southern Iraq, and the destruction of Shia holy places;

3. Notes with horror and revulsion reports of systematic atrocities such as torture, maimings and mass executions by the Iraqi military against refugees, and the imprisonment of religious leaders such as Ayatollah Al Khoei;

4. Calls for increased Western aid to the affected population in Iraq, Iran and Jordan;

5. Calls on the United Nations General Assembly to hold an urgent debate on this matter;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Governments of Jordan, Iran and Iraq, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.