The Assyrian Democratic Organization
(European Parliament Strasbourg) — In a session devoted to Human Rights, in Darfur, Iraq and Egypt, a resolution was passed on the situation of the Assyrians in Iraq. Patrons of the Save the Assyrians campaign Glyn Ford MEP and Dr Charles Tannock MEP, who were accompanied by Andy Darmoo, also of the campaign, were pleased to see 86 of the 88 members present voting in favour of a resolution that asks for Assyrian rights to be granted in Iraq. Darmoo said, after the result came through, ?Iraq was liberated to bring freedom for all, but all we hear about is deals between Kurds and Shi?ites. Now they are even talking to external countries. However, what about the indigenous people of the country?? He continued, that in previously highly populated Assyrians areas, ?it is Assyrians who are leaving Iraq en masse and now living as refugees in Syria and Jordan, while their ancestral homeland is divided up by others.?
Iraq: Situation in prisons and the Assyrian community
Parliament’s resolution on Iraq was adopted with 86 votes in favour, 1 against and 1 abstention. It covers two issues: the situation of the Assyrian community and Iraqi prisons.
Regarding the Assyrian community (Chaldeans, Syriacs and other Christian minorities) MEPs strongly condemn all acts of violence against them. They urge the Iraqi authorities and the Multi-National Force (MNF-I) to find the perpetrators of these serious crimes and bring them to justice as soon as possible. MEPs urge Iraq?s authorities to protect the Assyrians from discrimination, in accordance with their international obligations.
Parliament urges Iraq?s authorities to improve the security situation of the Assyrians and to facilitate the return and resettlement of Assyrian refugees in a secure environment where their customs and way of life are respected. It calls for the involvement of the Christians in Iraq in the reconstruction and administration of their land and villages in Northern Iraq and elsewhere in the region in order to preserve their cultural, religious and ethnic identity within one undivided country.
MEPs strongly support calls by most Iraqi political and religious leaders for restraint and urges the communities in Iraq to come together in a spirit of dialogue and mutual respect; expresses its full support for the efforts of the UN in promoting intercommunal dialogue within the framework of a national dialogue; welcomes the initiative by the League of Arab States to hold a second conference on national reconciliation with the participation of all Iraqi communities. They urge the Constitutional Committee of the Iraqi Council of Representatives to preserve the cultural and religious rights of all Iraqi communities in its proposals for a constitutional amendment.
MEPs call on the Commission and the Council to take all necessary measures to assist and protect the Assyrians.
Regarding prisons is Iraq Parliament expresses its concern at the conditions of detention in prisons and other places of detention in Iraq. It reaffirms its condemnation of the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of prisoners and calls on the Iraqi authorities and the MNF-I to ensure that conditions of detention conform to international standards for the treatment of prisoners. It further calls on them to release immediately the identities of all remaining detainees and to ensure that they have access to legal counsel and prompt access to their families, and are informed of the reasons for their detention, as well as to put in place adequate safeguards to protect detainees from torture and ill-treatment: by ensuring that all allegations of such abuse are subject to prompt, thorough and independent investigation and that any military, security or other officials found to have used, ordered or authorised torture are brought to justice; by ensuring that detainees are able effectively to challenge their detention before a court and are subject to due process; by prosecuting all those currently held without charge for internationally recognisable criminal offences or else releasing them.
MEPs welcome the ongoing investigations carried out by the MNF-I into allegations of abuse of prisoners and the inspection of places of detention throughout the country carried out by the Iraqi authorities. They also welcome the fact that more inspections are underway and that UNAMI encourages this process. Parliament calls on the MNF-I and the Iraqi authorities to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross unfettered access to all British and US detention facilities.
Parliament supports the continuing efforts of the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights to uphold high standards, including for people under detention and the EU?s Integrated Rule of Law Mission for Iraq (EUJUST LEX). It notes that the Iraqi authorities have requested that the mission be extended beyond the end of its current mandate and the scope of the training provided expanded. MEPs urge the Commission and the Council to extend the mission beyond the end of its current mandate and to expand the scope of the training provided to include forensic policing.
Parliament calls on the Iraqi Council of Representatives to ratify the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to make further contributions to the strengthening of human rights and the rule of law in Iraq.
