EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
2009 - 2014
Plenary sitting
4.2.2014
B7-0162/2014
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
to wind up the debate on the statement by the Vice-President of the
Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
on the situation in Egypt
(2014/2532(RSP))
Willy Meyer, Marie-Christine Vergiat, Marisa Matias, Alda Sousa
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
RE\1018036EN.doc
EN
PE527.362v01-00
United in diversity
EN
B7-0162/2014
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Egypt
(2014/2532(RSP))
The European Parliament,
–
having regard to its previous resolutions on Egypt, in particular those of 16 February
2012 on ‘Egypt: recent developments’1, of 15 March 2012 on ‘human trafficking in
Sinai, in particular the case of Solomon W.’2, of 14 March 2013 on the situation in
Egypt3, of 4 July 2013 on the crisis in Egypt4, and of 12 September 2013 on the
situation in Egypt5,
–
having regard to its previous resolution of 14 December 2011 on the review of the
European Neighbourhood Policy6,
–
having regard to the EU-Egypt Action Plan of 2007 and the EU-Egypt Association
Agreement, which entered into force on 1 June 2004,
–
having regard to the Financing Agreement worth EUR 90 million for Egypt signed on
28 November 2013,
–
having regard to the Internal Report of 9 January 2014 by the European Union Election
Expert Mission (EU EEM) entitled ‘Egypt, Constitutional Referendum January 2014’,
–
having regard to the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Package since 2004 and in
particular to the Commission’s progress report on its implementation of 20 March 2013,
–
having regard to the Joint Statement on Egypt by the US Secretary of State and the EU
High Representative of 7 August 2013, to the statements by EU High Representative
Catherine Ashton of 16 August 2013, 6 September 2013, 28 November 2013 and 19
January 2014, and to her fourteen visits to Egypt, in particular those of 29-30 July 2013
and 2-3 October 2013,
–
having regard to the Council conclusions on Egypt of 27 February 2012, 25 June 2012,
19 November 2012, 10 December 2012, 22 July 2013 and 21 August 2013, its
conclusions on EU Support for Sustainable Change in Transition Societies of
31 January 2013 and on the Arab Spring of 8 February 2013, and to its conclusions of
21 October 2013 on the special report no 4/2013 of the Court of Auditors of 18 June
2013 concerning EU cooperation with Egypt in the field of governance ,
–
having regard to the Commission memorandum of 8 February 2013 entitled ‘EU’s
1
Texts adopted, P7_TA(2012)0064.
Texts adopted, P7_TA(2012)0092.
3
Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0095.
4
Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0333.
5
Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0379.
6
Texts adopted, P7_TA(2011)0576.
2
PE527.362v01-00
EN
2/7
RE\1018036EN.doc
response to the Arab Spring: the state of play after two years’,
–
having regard to the statements made by the spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon on Egypt on 5 June, 3 and 27 July, 14, 17 and 19 August, 4 and 7
October, 13 and 27 November, and 25 December 2013, and on 14 and 24 January 2014,
–
having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966, to
which Egypt agreed to be party,
–
having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
–
having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A.
whereas a constitutional referendum took place in Egypt on 14 and 15 January 2014;
whereas violent clashes related to the referendum caused deaths and injuries; whereas
the proposed new Egyptian constitution has been backed by 98.1 % of people who
voted in the referendum, according to the election committee; whereas turnout was
38.6 % of the 53 million eligible voters; whereas the constitution replaces the one
introduced by former president Mohammed Morsi before he was ousted; whereas the
banned Muslim Brotherhood boycotted the referendum and dismissed it as a ‘farce’;
B.
whereas the new constitution contains some reformist clauses such as gender equality
and welfare; whereas, on the other hand, it has been seen as an attempt to reinforce the
power of the military and alienate Islamist parties from Egyptian politics, as it forbids
the creation of parties based on religion, race or geography, allows the military to
appoint the defence minister for the next eight years and allows military trials for
civilians;
C.
whereas a 50-member committee (C-50 Committee) was assigned by the interim
President to amend the 2012 Constitution; whereas the constitutional committee has
been considered as partial, as only two out of the 50 members belonged to Islamist
parties; whereas, despite the fact that Egyptian women played a strong part in the
revolution, female representation was poor, accounting for only 10 % of the C-50
Committee;
D.
whereas following the invitation to the EU from the Egyptian High Electoral
Commission to observe the constitutional referendum, an Election Expert Mission (EU
EEM) was deployed on 25 December 2013;
E.
whereas after the military coup d’état and the brutal repression of Morsi supporters, the
situation quickly deteriorated with an increase in sectarian attacks; whereas at least
1 000 people have been killed in clashes with security forces; whereas the situation is
very worrying and contains strong elements of civil war;
F.
whereas on the third anniversary of the uprising that culminated in the overthrow of
Hosni Mubarak at least 54 people were reported dead in clashes with protesters in
Egypt; whereas the majority of the deaths were in Cairo, where security forces lobbed
teargas and fired in the air to prevent demonstrators from reaching Tahrir Square, where
supporters of the interim government called for the head of the military, General Abdel
RE\1018036EN.doc
3/7
PE527.362v01-00
EN
Fattah al-Sisi, to run for the presidency; whereas there were also smaller gatherings of
pro-democracy activists who are opposed to the authoritarianism of both Morsi and
al-Sisi;
G.
whereas the situation in the country has deteriorated after the military takeover,
including deadly bomb attacks; whereas on 24 December 2013 a suicide car bombing in
the Nile delta city of Mansoura killed 16 people; whereas on 26 December 2013 a bomb
exploded near a public transport bus, injuring five passengers; whereas two more
handmade bombs where defused the same day in Nasr City;
H.
whereas the Egyptian interim Government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist
group; whereas this decision imposes stiffer prison terms for anyone found engaging in
activities that support the group or in possession of Muslim Brotherhood propaganda
material; whereas, according to the Egyptian legal framework, this should be stated by a
judge; whereas many Muslim Brotherhood members have left the country or are in
prison;
I.
whereas Hisham Qandil, the former Prime Minister of the Muslim-Brotherhood-led
government, was arrested on 27 December 2013; whereas, following the arrests of other
prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders and the protests at the Al-Azhar University in
Cairo, 15 female students were arrested on the charge of ‘causing chaos and inciting
violence’;
J.
whereas ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi first appeared in court in early
November for the trial that re-opened on 1 February 2014 and was adjourned until
4 February;
K.
whereas Morsi is facing four separate criminal trials on various charges: inciting
supporters to commit violence and murder as they tried to break up an opposition
protest in Cairo in December 2012; conspiring with foreign organisations to commit
terrorist acts, with prosecutors accusing Morsi of forming an alliance with the
Palestinian militant group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah; murdering prison officers
in a jailbreak in 2011 during the uprising against the then-President Hosni Mubarak; and
insulting the judiciary; whereas Morsi supporters consider the charges to be politically
motivated, while officials insist the trials are free and fair;
L.
whereas the Egyptian authorities have accused al-Jazeera of supporting the Muslim
Brotherhood; whereas 20 al-Jazeera journalists are being prosecuted on the charges of
‘airing false news’ and of ‘aiding a terrorist group’;
M.
whereas on 24 November 2013 Law No 107 on organising the right to peaceful public
meetings, processions and protests was passed by a Presidential Decree; whereas this
‘protests law’ includes measures for controls and sanctions in the event of
non-compliance that can be considered disproportionate according to international
standards; whereas the UN Secretary-General has reiterated the concerns expressed by
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that the new law passed
could lead to serious breaches of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly; whereas
they have both urged the Egyptian authorities to consider amendments to the law;
PE527.362v01-00
EN
4/7
RE\1018036EN.doc
N.
whereas on 27 November 2013 the Egyptian security forces violently dispersed and
arrested dozens of people during the protests against military trials; whereas protests at
the universities have been undercut as the Supreme Council of Universities has enacted
an internal decision that restricts protests;
O.
whereas, according to both domestic and international human rights organisations,
arrests, the excessive use of force, arbitrary detention and extension of the period of
pre-trial detention have occurred in Egypt on an almost daily basis in recent months;
whereas there is an ongoing crackdown of all forms of dissent that has seen thousands
of Morsi supporters and dozens of secular activists arrested since July 2013;
P.
whereas it is now three years since Mubarak stepped down due to the massive
demonstrations in Tahrir Square and the uprisings throughout Egypt calling for
fundamental reforms of the country’s political, economic and social system, for an end
to corruption, and for full freedom, true democracy, respect for human rights and better
living conditions;
Q.
whereas on 30 June 2013 several million protesters across Egypt called for President
Morsi’s resignation in the biggest demonstration since the 2011 revolution which ousted
Hosni Mubarak; whereas people took to the streets to protest as the situation in the
country did not improve under the government of the Muslim Brotherhood, but
deteriorated; whereas inflation and unemployment increased during President Morsi’s
time in office; whereas in 2012 over 3 400 protests – most of them strikes and
occupations – took place across Egypt over economic and social issues; whereas,
despite the fact that the demonstrations were largely peaceful, dozens of people died and
hundreds were injured across the country;
R.
whereas the Egyptian Armed Forces issued a statement on 1 July 2013 giving Egyptian
political forces 48 hours to ‘fulfil the people’s demands’, otherwise the military would
step in; whereas, in its statement of 4 July 2013, the Egyptian Army deposed President
Mohamed Morsi and announced the suspension of the constitution, the transfer of
power to the head of the High Constitutional Court pending early presidential elections
followed by parliamentary elections, and the formation of a national coalition
government and a committee to look into amending the constitution;
S.
whereas the Council noted that the Court of Auditor’s report on EU cooperation with
Egypt raised concerns about shortcomings with regard to public finance management
linked to the EU budget support instrument;
T.
whereas Egypt is the most populous Arab country with over 80 million people and is a
pivotal country in the southern Mediterranean; whereas political, economic and social
developments in Egypt have significant implications for the whole region and beyond;
1.
Takes notes of the holding of a constitutional referendum in Egypt on 14 and 15 January
2014; calls for early parliamentary elections in order to return to the path towards
democratic transition in Egypt;
2.
Takes note of the ongoing trial of elected President Morsi; notes that President Morsi
and the Muslim Brotherhood were effectively reverting to the same role as the ousted
RE\1018036EN.doc
5/7
PE527.362v01-00
EN
Hosni Mubarak in failing to carry out reforms while seeking to install a more religiously
conservative system; is deeply concerned, nevertheless, about the escalation of violence
and the general clampdown on democratic rights in Egypt;
3.
Calls for an end to violence in Egypt as the conflict may turn into civil war;
4.
Reiterates its condemnation of the military coup d’état and the brutal repression by the
Egyptian army; deeply deplores the loss of lives, injuries and destruction in Cairo and
other parts of Egypt; regrets that the promises made by the Egyptian army to give the
floor to the Egyptian people have turned into violent action;
5.
Reiterates its opinion that the leaders and generals of the Egyptian army cannot offer a
way forward to advance the rightful demands of the Egyptian people, as the army’s
leadership holds powerful economic positions within Egypt and represents different
economic and political interests from those of the workers, the poor and young people
who demand social justice and higher living standards;
6.
Reiterates its support for the demands made by the Egyptian people for freedom, human
dignity, social justice, true democracy, respect for human rights, better living conditions
and a secular state, and in particular for their demands for wage increases to match price
increases, and for housing, health and job creation;
7.
Insists that the future of Egypt must rest firmly in the hands of the Egyptian people,
without any external interference; is opposed to any external, imperialist interference,
namely by the US, Israel or Saudi Arabia; is convinced that neither the Egyptian
military nor a return of elements from the former Mubarak regime can represent a step
towards addressing the rightful aspirations of the Egyptian masses;
8.
Deplores the support provided for decades by the EU and some Member State
governments to the regime of Hosni Mubarak in particular; reiterates that economic,
political, social, cultural and all other types of relations between the EU and any ENP
country must be based on equality of treatment, non-interference, solidarity, dialogue
and respect for the specific asymmetries and characteristics of each country;
9.
Calls for an independent and impartial committee of inquiry to be set up to investigate
breaches of human rights committed during Mubarak’s regime, Morsi’s presidency and
following the military coup d’état, including cases of extrajudicial execution and
arbitrary arrest, and for those responsible to be identified and, where appropriate,
brought to justice, with compensation offered to victims and their families;
10.
Expresses deep concern about the situation of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip
due to the closure of the Rafah border by the Egyptian authorities; reiterates that even
with the decision to re-open it two days per week, the Palestinian population in Gaza
lives in a prison with a lack of medical and basic necessities;
11.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the
Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean, the African Union and the Government
PE527.362v01-00
EN
6/7
RE\1018036EN.doc
and Parliament of Egypt.
RE\1018036EN.doc
7/7
PE527.362v01-00
EN