The European Parliament adopted by 82 votes to 1 with 3 abstentions a resolution on Syria. The resolution had been tabled by the PES, Greens/ALE, EPP-ED, ALDE, UEN and GUE/NGL groups. Parliament urges the Syrian authorities to release immediately Riad Seif and Mamun al-Humsi, two parliamentarians who are in an alarming condition and have already served three quarters of their prison sentence. It also calls on the Syrian authorities to drop immediately all charges against Hasan Zeino, Yassin al-Hamwi and Muhammad Ali al-Abdullah, who are facing trial before military courts in Homs and Damascus charged with "possession of publications of a prohibited organisation", "the establishment a secret society", "the defamation of the public administration", etc.

The Syrian authorities are asked to ensure that the detainees are well treated and not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment, and that detained or imprisoned persons are given prompt, regular and unrestricted access to their lawyers, doctors and families.

Parliament points out that respect for human rights constitutes a vital component in any future EU-Syria Association Agreement. It calls on the Commission and the Council and the individual Member States to make clear to the Syrian authorities that the agreement which is currently under negotiation includes human rights clauses which are a fundamental element of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, and expects concrete improvements in this field on the part of the Syrian authorities. It also calls for the setting up of a subcommittee on human rights with Syria in the framework of the Association Agreement, as has been done with Jordan and Morocco, so as to develop a structured dialogue on human rights and democracy.

The European Parliament adopted by 82 votes to 1 with 3 abstentions a resolution on Syria. The resolution had been tabled by the PES, Greens/ALE, EPP-ED, ALDE, UEN and GUE/NGL groups. Parliament urges the Syrian authorities to release immediately Riad Seif and Mamun al-Humsi, two parliamentarians who are in an alarming condition and have already served three quarters of their prison sentence. It also calls on the Syrian authorities to drop immediately all charges against Hasan Zeino, Yassin al-Hamwi and Muhammad Ali al-Abdullah, who are facing trial before military courts in Homs and Damascus charged with "possession of publications of a prohibited organisation", "the establishment a secret society", "the defamation of the public administration", etc.

The Syrian authorities are asked to ensure that the detainees are well treated and not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment, and that detained or imprisoned persons are given prompt, regular and unrestricted access to their lawyers, doctors and families.

Parliament points out that respect for human rights constitutes a vital component in any future EU-Syria Association Agreement. It calls on the Commission and the Council and the individual Member States to make clear to the Syrian authorities that the agreement which is currently under negotiation includes human rights clauses which are a fundamental element of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, and expects concrete improvements in this field on the part of the Syrian authorities. It also calls for the setting up of a subcommittee on human rights with Syria in the framework of the Association Agreement, as has been done with Jordan and Morocco, so as to develop a structured dialogue on human rights and democracy.