EU Parliament calls for an international investigation into the killing of demonstrators in Egypt

The European Union Parliament yesterday urged member states to support a new resolution urging the United Nations Human Rights Council to begin an international investigation into the killing of protesters in Egypt and into allegations of torture and ill-treatment by security forces over the past year.

The parliament issued a resolution yesterday urging member countries to ban exporting all types of intrusion and surveillance technologies to Egypt, especially those that can be used to spy or repress citizens, as well as to ban military aid and security equipment which can be used by the authorities to suppress peaceful demonstrations.

The European Parliament urged the Egyptian government to immediately and unconditionally release all detainees, both those who are detained pending verdicts or who have been convicted solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly.

It expressed its deep concern over several issues including the mass death sentences and the verdicts against Al-Jazeera journalists and demanded the Egyptian judiciary ensure judicial proceedings in the country live up to the free and fair trials and that the investigations are conducted independently and impartially to charges which include ill-treatment and torture and to ensure that all detainees have access to the medical care they require.

The resolution stressed that the judiciary should not be used as a tool of political repression.

It also demanded the Egyptian authorities reconsider or amend the controversial anti-protest law as well as the NGO law to comply with Egypt’s international obligations and demanded the Egyptian government continue taking the necessary steps to deal with cases of sexual harassment and violence.