B4-0880 and 0933/95

Resolution on human rights violations in Syria

The European Parliament,

A.whereas in December 1993 Parliament lifted its blockade of the 4th Financial Protocol to the EU - Syria Cooperation Agreement, but only after both the Syrian authorities and the Commission had confirmed that human rights issues would be entered on the Cooperation Council's agenda, while requesting an annual progress report by the Council on human rights in Syria,

B.whereas on the occasion of the 28 November 1994 Cooperation Council meeting, certain human rights issues were allegedly raised, albeit outside the formal session,

C.whereas no report by the Council on human rights in Syria has been forthcoming,

D.whereas human rights violations in Syria keep being reported, amongst others by Amnesty International in April 1995,

1.Deplores the fact that, six months later, the Council still has not submitted to Parliament a report on the results of the meeting of the Cooperation Council of 28 November 1994 and on human rights in Syria, and calls on the Council and the Commission to do so as soon as possible;

2.Regrets the continued violation of human rights and is disturbed at the evidence reaching it of disappearances, torture in prison, detention without trial and other violations of fundamental human rights despite reports suggesting that progress has been made;

3.Repeats its opinion that effective and durable progress will be accomplished with the establishment of general safeguards against human rights abuses, including

-arrests being supervised by the judiciary,

-arrested persons being promptly brought before a judicial authority and given access to lawyers, family and doctors, or released;

4.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the Syrian government.