Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-10-26-Speech-5-090-000"
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"en.20121026.5.5-090-000"2
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".
Mr President, the EU has followed the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the United Arab Emirates with some concern in recent months. As was recalled by honourable Members, several individuals were arrested in 2011 and 2012 simply for expressing their political views in the media or for signing an on-line petition on the internet. That petition asked for political and institutional reforms in a peaceful and respectful manner. Some of these individuals were tried and even deprived of their UAE citizenship. They were subsequently pardoned, but the legal case against them has not been filed.
The whereabouts of many of the other 60 political activists currently under arrest is not known. This is unacceptable and in breach of international conventions which the United Arab Emirates has signed and ratified. In addition to this, the UAE authorities closed down the offices of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung this spring. This is a prestigious foundation which was carrying out excellent work in the UAE. Never have the UAE authorities provided a satisfactory explanation for this eviction, which for the EU is all the more difficult to accept as that foundation was implementing an EU-funded project aimed at enhancing understanding and cooperation, which then had to be deeply redesigned.
All these cases of restrictions of civil and political rights, fundamental freedoms and human rights point to a deteriorating trend that cannot leave us indifferent, especially because of the friendly relations between the EU and the UAE and the good cooperation on several matters of common interest in the recent past.
The EU has repeatedly voiced its concern to the UAE Government, including very recently, through diplomatic channels. Human rights and fundamental freedoms were discussed with the Gulf Cooperation Council at the latest ministerial meeting that took place in Luxembourg in June. These issues will certainly feature on the agenda of the next meetings with the Gulf at all levels, and the same messages were conveyed during the visit of a delegation of this Parliament earlier this year. The EU is ready to discuss these issues with the UAE and to support them in case they need and want our support.
However, we want to talk to all stakeholders, activists, civil society and human rights defenders too, and not only the government of the country. In this context, the upcoming establishment of an EU delegation in Abu Dhabi, strongly supported by this Parliament, will definitely be an element enabling us to do more and better.
A specific case was raised by Member of Parliament Obermayr in relation to Dr Adelsmayr, which the EU has been following very attentively since the very beginning of this case, in close cooperation with the Austrian authorities. We remain ready to undertake any steps that may provide necessary with the UAE authorities in order to resolve this situation."@en1
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