B3-1721 and 1738/93

Resolution on the death sentence on Salman Rushdie

The European Parliament,

A.having regard to the sentence of death on Salman Rushdie by the Iranian authorities, against all the rules of international law,

B.having regard to the terrorist acts against those associated with the publication of "The Satanic Verses", including persons in the Member States of the Union,

C.whereas, despite growing international condemnation of the "Fatwa", the death sentence has not been rescinded but repeatedly confirmed - for five years,

D.having regard to the scandalous refusal by various British and American airlines to allow Salman Rushdie to use their flights to attend international meetings to argue his cause,

E.whereas, at a recent meeting in the European Parliament, open to all Members, Mr Rushdie was able to put his case to a large number of parliamentarians,

F.having regard to the European Council of 10-11 December 1993,

1.Reiterates its utter condemnation of the death sentence on Salman Rushdie by the Iranian government;

2.Believes that all the Institutions of the European Union must make every effort to defend the human rights of Salman Rushdie as indeed of all European citizens;

3.Calls on the Council Presidency to undertake a new initiative on this matter with the Iranian authorities by opening a dialogue with them, to secure the lifting of the death sentence as a matter of great urgency, and to report back to the European Parliament on the results of this mission by March 1994;

4.Condemns the attitude of those airlines which refuse to allow Salman Rushdie to use their flights, thus denying a European citizen the basic rights of unhindered travel in the Union;

5.Instructs its President to hand this resolution in person to the Iranian representative in Brussels and to forward it to the Iranian authorities, to the Commission, the Council, and the governments of the Member States.