35 Amendments of Frédérique RIES related to 2022/2195(INI)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
– having regard to the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission Final Report, 22 April 2022,
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas protests erupted in the Republic of Karakalpakstan on 1 July 2022 following the publication of the proposed amendments to Uzbekistan’s constitution, which would have abolished its status as a sovereign republic within Uzbekistan and its right to secede; whereas at least 21 people were killed, and over 270 were injured, in the ensuing crackdown by the authorities; whereas human rights groups have documented that law enforcement officers used excessive force in response to the largely peaceful demonstrations; whereas 22 people were sentenced on 13 January 2023 for their participation in the unrest and Dauletmurat Tajimuratov, a lawyer accused of leading the unrest, was sentenced to 16 years in prison; whereas on 17 FebruaryMarch 2023 the trial startedsecond trial against another 39 people charged with participating in the protests ended with lengthy prison sentences of up to 11 years;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas in June 2022, the government of Uzbekistan published proposed constitutional amendments, including a provision that would enable the president to remain in office for another two seven-year terms;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas promised legal reforms have stalled, including the revision of the Criminal Code and a new NGO Code;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas Uzbekistan has accelerated its imprisonment of journalists and bloggers in recent years, including of Otabek Sattoriy, an independent blogger, investigative journalist, and activist serving a six year and six-month prison sentence for his reporting on corruption; whereas a November 2022 decision by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Sattoriy’s detention to be in violation of international law; whereas other journalists and bloggers imprisoned for their reporting or expression include Miraziz Bazarov, a blogger arrested in March 2021 and serving a three-year sentence under house arrest on charges related to his support of the decriminalization of homosexuality, Fazilkhoja Arifkhojayev, a Muslim blogger arrested in June 2021 and sentenced to seven years and six months for reposting and commenting on religious matters on social media, and Lolagul Kallykhanova, the founder of Makan.uz arrested in July 2022 and sentenced to eight years of restricted liberty for her alleged participation in the Karakalpakstan protests; whereas Valijon Kalonov, a government critic who called for a boycott of the 2021 presidential elections, is being held in a psychiatric hospital in the Samarkand region, after a court ruling that he should undergo compulsory psychiatric treatment;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas consensual same-sex relations between men remains criminalised under Article 120 of the current Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, punishable with imprisonment for up to three years;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas defamation and insult, including insulting the president, remain criminal offenses, despite President Mirziyoyev’s pledge in 2020 to decriminalise both offenses; whereas blogger Sobirjon Babaniyazov was sentenced to three years in prison for insulting the President online;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas Muslims who practice their faith outside state controls continue to be targeted by authorities with spurious religious extremism-related criminal charges, for example, Bobirjon Tukhtamurodov was sentenced to over 5 years in prison for participating in a banned religious organization and other Muslims, including Oybek Khamidov, Khasan Abdirakhimov and Alimardon Sultonov, were imprisoned on extremism related criminal charges;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas the job of righting past wrongs against individuals who were imprisoned illegally and in violation of their rights remains unfinished in Uzbekistan; whereas while Uzbekistan released dozens of former prisoners of conscience in recent years, the authorities have not taken steps to rehabilitate these individuals, who remain convicted of crimes under the law, or to repair the harm caused to them by their lengthy detentions, torture and abuse many endured, isolation from their family and friends, and loss of work, among other impacts;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the completion of negotiations on the EU-Uzbekistan EPCA agreement, which creates a new, modern and ambitious framework for deepening bilateral relations; reiterates that the agreement puts a strong emphasis on shared values, democracy and the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and sustainable development; notes that it also lays the groundwork for enhanced cooperation in foreign and security policy, including on issues such as regional stability, digital connectivity, international cooperation and conflict prevention;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the ambitious reforms planned under the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026, which aims to achieve genuine change in the country in socioeconomic development, efficient administration and respect for human right, a more independent judicial system, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; welcomes measures to improve the anti-corruption system; calls to include in the reforms agenda guarantees to religious and press freedoms; stresses that the constitutional reform is an opportunity to strengthen the rule of law and to give the reforms a solid legal foundation; calls on the authorities of Uzbekistan to continue this process in consultation with citizens and stakeholders, including the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe , based on international norms and best practices; notes that on 10 March 2023 the Legislative Chamber adopted a law calling for a constitutional referendum on 30 April 2023; supports the work of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which opened a referendum observation mission on 28 March 2023 in order to assess the conduct of the referendum;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the ambitious reforms planned under the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026, which aims to achieve genuine change in the country in socioeconomic development, efficient administration and respect for human rights; stresses that the constitutional reform is an opportunity to strengthen the rule of law and to give the reforms a solid legal foundation with access to free and open internet and media; calls on the authorities of Uzbekistan to continue this process in consultation with citizens and stakeholders, including the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe , based on international norms and best practices;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that Uzbekistan is uniquely positioned to be the driving force for regional cooperation that would help Central Asia become a more resilient, prosperous and more closely interconnected economic and political space; encourages the EU to intensify its political, economic and security engagements with Central Asia in line with its geostrategic importance and in keeping with the values of democracy, human rights and rule of law that underpin EU external action; underlines the great potential of mutually beneficial cooperation on sustainable and digital connectivity, in particular through its Global Gateway on initiative, energy, water and security, while supporting new supply-chain hubs in Uzbekistan for regional integration;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recognises that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its implications present both challenges and opportunities for Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states, which have traditionally maintained close relations with Russia; notes that Uzbekistan abstained in the votes on the United Nations General Assembly resolutions on Ukraine, in particular those of 2 March 2022, 24 March 2022 and 23 February 2023 demanding an end to the Russian offensive and immediate withdrawal from Ukraine; notes that Uzbekistan opposed the expulsion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council on 7 April 2022; notes the commitment of the political leadership of Uzbekistan not to allow the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russiaat the same time that the Uzbek authorities rejected the declaration of independence of Donetsk and Luhansk republics; notes the commitment of the political leadership of Uzbekistan not to allow the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia and encourages the authorities to clearly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in line with the international community; welcomes recent initiatives taken by the business community in Uzbekistan with regards to sanctions and calls for enhanced cooperation between the EU and Uzbekistan in this field;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recognises that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its implications present both challenges and opportunities for Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states, which have traditionally maintained close relations with Russia; notes that Uzbekistan abstained in the votes on the United Nations General Assembly resolutions on Ukraine, in particular those of 2 March 2022, 24 March 2022 and 23 February 2023 demanding an end to the Russian offensive and immediate withdrawal from Ukraine; notes that Uzbekistan opposed the expulsion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council on 7 April 2022; notes the commitment of the political leadership of Uzbekistan not to allow the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia and calls for a close cooperation with the EU on these matters;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes Uzbekistan’s long-standing and close relations with Afghanistan, which have continued after the takeover by Taliban; commends its efforts to mitigate the severe humanitarian crisis in the country through the provision of humanitarian aid and electricity; invites Uzbekistan to use its contacts with the Taliban to call for respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Afghans, in particular women, girls and minorities, which are essential conditions for greater international engagement with Afghanistan, including through connectivity to support human rights and prevent the effects of regional radicalisation and conflict-induced migration; reiterates its strong condemnation of the Taliban’s decisions to ban women and girls from attending secondary and university education and to prohibit the employment of women with non-governmental organisations and the United Nations;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the agreement of 27 January 2023 between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on the delimitation of the border between the two countries, which settles the outstanding issues between the two sides and completes a process that lasted three decades; equally welcomes the agreement of 22 December 2022 between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on the demarcation of the Kazakh-Uzbek state border, which is the result of 19 years of negotiations;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Welcomes Uzbekistan’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and its actions to mobilise global support to tackle the consequences of the desiccation and salinisation of the Aral Sea; Encourages further regional and global cooperation to find potential solutions to the Aral Sea environmental disaster;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Regrets the loss of life during protests in the Republic of Karakalpakstan on 1 and 2 July 2022; calls on the authorities to investigate the actions of the security services that led toestablish a genuinely independent, impartial, and effective investigation into the events, including into the deaths and severe injuries among the protesters andthat occurred and the actions taken by the security forces; calls on the authorities to bring those responsible to justice; calls for the independence and transparency of the judicial process to be ensured in the cases linked to the protests; welcomes the Uzbek authorities’ commitment to maintaining the current constitutional status of Karakalpakstan;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Deplores the persistent lack of accountability for torture and ill- treatment by police and law enforcement, urges to hold perpetrators accountable, in particular, calls for prompt investigations into the allegations of torture by activist and lawyer Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov; calls upon Uzbek authorities to ensure that detainees and prisoners are held in conditions consistent with respect for their human dignity;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the government to ensure the security and non-discrimination of LGBTI people in Uzbekistan;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the government to restart the reform of the Criminal Code in line with international human rights standards and the recommendations of UN treaty bodies;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the important role that civil society can play in supporting effective and inclusive reforms and good governance; regrets the barriers to NGO registration and the obligations imposed on NGOs receiving foreign funding by the Regulation on Coordination Between Non- Governmental Non-Commercial Organisations and Public Authorities in the Implementation of International Grant Projects approved by Decree No 328 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan on 13 June 2022, which shrink the space for civil society activities and impede the exercise of the freedom of association; underlines that the barrier to NGO registration will also affect EU-Uzbekistan business relations since EU and Member States’ due diligence legislation will require NGO monitoring capacity;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the government of Uzbekistan to allow independent human rights organizations, including international human rights groups, to register in the country and to adopt an NGO code in line with international standards;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses the need to ensure respect for the rights of journalists, independent bloggers, content producers and human rights defenders and their protection against harassment, pressure and threats and to investigate any attacks against them, including the promotion of Uzbek language media and enhanced digital training programs against disinformation also based on the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Digital Services Act (DSA);
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Deplores persecutions against journalists, bloggers and government critics and calls for their immediate and unconditional release, in particular of Lolagul Kallykhanova, Otobek Sattoriy, Miraziz Bazarov, Fazilhoja Arifhojaev, Sobirjon Babaniyazov, and Valijon Kalonov;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Notes that a draft Information Code, published in mid-December 2022, includes provisions that would violate freedom of expression, if adopted, and calls on the government to ensure that any restrictions on freedom of information enshrined in the Information Code are strictly limited to the extent that is necessary and proportionate, and only for legitimate purposes, as provided for under international human rights law;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Deplores religious persecution and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Bobirjon Tukhtamurodov, Oybek Khamidov, Khasan Abdirakhimov, and Alimardon Sultonov;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Urges Uzbek authorities to take steps to rehabilitate victims of wrongful detention and repair the damage caused to them, including by removing their convictions, acknowledging and compensating them for the harm done, and providing assistance, such as medical and psychological care;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Notes that the definitions of extremism and terrorism remain vague and overbroad, leading to arbitrary detention and undue restriction to the right of freedom of religion or belief; recommends that the related legal provisions are narrowly and precisely drafted, in line with the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Welcomes progress towards the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) and encourages the authorities to complete this process as soon as possible;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10d. Calls on the government to protect the right to freedom of religion and to amend the 2021 religion law in accordance with recommendations issued by the former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief in a report from 29 March 2023;