Hamas urged to release kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit

In the first resolution, adopted by a show of hands, Parliament calls on Hamas to release immediately the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped on Israeli soil on 25 June 2006.  

Since being taken hostage, Sergeant Shalit - a French and Israeli citizen - has been held incommunicado in Gaza and deprived of basic rights under the Geneva Conventions.  Hamas has claimed responsibility for his continuing detention and has declared that he is being held in accordance with the Third 1949 Geneva Convention.

MEPs demand the "immediate release" of Sergeant Shalit.  They also call upon Hamas to grant Sergeant Shalit rights and privileges pursuant to the Geneva Convention.  Deploring "the continued disregard for Sergeant Shalit’s basic human rights and the fact that his family and the Israeli and French authorities have been prevented from obtaining information regarding his well-being", the resolution urges Hamas "to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit Sergeant Shalit without delay, and to permit him to communicate with his family" in accordance with the Convention.

More broadly, the resolution stresses the importance of progress towards a two-state solution and the relaunching of proximity negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and says that "mutual trust-building measures by all sides, including a significant release of Palestinian prisoners, may help to create a constructive atmosphere leading to the release of Sergeant Shalit".

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Violence in Mexico

Alarmed at the escalating gang violence in Mexico, MEPs voice solidarity with the Mexican people and support for the government's efforts to combat the violence and drug trafficking.  They also urge the government to provide more protection to human rights activists and step up its efforts to strengthen the rule of law.  EU governments are asked to provide more assistance to Mexico.

In its resolution, adopted by 57 votes to 2 with 3 abstentions, Parliament says it "shares the Mexican authorities’ concern at the escalation of violence in the country, and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Mexican people in the fight against drug trafficking". It "extends its sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, and to the Mexican people, whom it encourages to continue to fight to defend democracy and the rule of law".

Parliament "supports the Mexican Government in its determination to combat organised drug trafficking" and "condemns all forms of violence, in particular the violence and persistent death threats to which activists engaged in promoting and defending human rights in Mexico are subjected, and calls for the Mexican authorities to step up efforts to provide legal and personal protection to such groups". The resolution also highlights the problem of violence against media workers and against women and believes "it is the government's responsibility to combat 'feminicide' ".

In addition, MEPs urge the Mexican government to "continue with its efforts to consolidate the rule of law", "specifically with reference to reform of the judicial system".  The EP also believes attention should be devoted to helping young people take their place in society, as it "considers frustration felt by young people to be one of the main factors behind the violence".

Lastly, the EU Member States are called upon "to step up the support they provide for human rights through cooperation programmes and financial and technical resources; calls on them also to increase the budgetary resources allocated to cooperation in strengthening and reforming the judiciary".

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Death penalty in South Korea

Following a decision by the South Korean Constitutional Court that capital punishment does not breach that country's constitution, MEPs urge South Korea to institute a legal moratorium on all executions until its parliament has passed a law abolishing the death penalty.

On 25 February 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Korea ruled by a 5‑4 majority that capital punishment is constitutional, although the judges also underlined that the issue of whether to retain or abolish the death penalty should be debated in the National Assembly rather than in the course of constitutional proceedings.

The European Parliament resolution, adopted by 50 votes to 4 with 4 abstentions, "recognises that the Republic of Korea has not carried out any executions since 1998, making it a de facto abolitionist country".  However, it is "deeply disappointed at the decision by the Republic of Korea’s Constitutional Court to uphold the death penalty".

The resolution "expresses its support for movements fighting for the abolition of the death penalty in the Republic of Korea" and reiterates "its general opposition to the death penalty, which is at odds with a modern criminal justice system and, contrary to popular belief, does not reduce crime rates".

Consequently, the EP "encourages the Republic of Korea to institute a legal moratorium on all executions until Parliament has passed a law abolishing the death penalty".

The European Union is strongly committed to the abolition of the death penalty and is striving to achieve universal acceptance of this principle. It strongly supported the UN General Assembly's resolution of 18 December 2007 asking countries that practise the death penalty to ‘establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty’.