BETA


2007/2552(RSP) Resolution on the kidnapping in Gaza of the journalist Alan Johnston

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 135

Events

2007/05/31
   Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2007/04/26
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2007/04/26
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2007/04/26
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Details

The European Parliament adopted a joint resolution on the kidnapping in Gaza of the journalist Alan Johnston, who was abducted at gunpoint on 12 March 2007 whilst returning home in Gaza City and his whereabouts have remained unknown since that date. Although no group has claimed responsibility, President Abbas has confirmed publicly that there is credible evidence that Mr Johnston is alive, that he is being held in secure conditions and that there is information as to which group is holding him. MEPs called for Mr Johnston to be immediately and unconditionally released unharmed and returned to safety, and expressed theirs warm support for Mr Johnston's family in these difficult circumstances, and for his BBC colleagues and management, who have been campaigning tirelessly to build public and political support for his release.

Parliament paid tribute to Mr Johnston's record as a journalist of the highest integrity, with a record of sixteen years working for the BBC and, in particular, the past three years spent in Gaza, where he has been the only permanently-based foreign journalist from a major media organisation. It also expressed solidarity with the IFJ and its member unions, including the Palestinian Journalists" Syndicate, in their efforts to secure Mr Johnston's release and their campaign for a new global commitment to ending threats to independent journalism. Parliament recalled the appeal delivered by the IFJ to the leaders of the Palestinian National Authority on 19 April 2007, with the signatures of 197 Members of the European Parliament.

It went on to call on the Palestinian National Authority to redouble its efforts to secure Mr Johnston's speedy release, to ensure that journalists in Gaza are able to carry out their duties free from the threat of kidnap and harassment and to ensure that all attacks against journalists and other civilians are investigated thoroughly and those responsible brought to justice.

In addition, the European Commission's Technical Assistance Office to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the diplomatic representatives of the EU Member States and the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) must strengthen and coordinate their efforts to secure Mr Johnston's release and support the Palestinian National Authority's efforts in this regard.

Parliament condemned this and all other acts of violence and intimidation against the free exercise of journalism and freedom of expression. It stressed that the safety of journalists must be treated as a priority by all those attached to an open and democratic society and to progress towards peace everywhere, in line with the unanimously agreed United Nations Security Council Resolution S/RES/1738 (2006) adopted on 23 December 2006.

Documents
2007/04/26
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2007/04/24
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2007/04/24
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2007/04/24
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2007/04/24
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2007/04/24
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2007/04/24
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2007/04/24
   Joint motion for resolution
Documents
2007/04/24
   CSL - Resolution/conclusions adopted by Council
2007/04/24
   CSL - Council Meeting

Documents

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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activities
  • date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: General Affairs meeting_id: 2795
  • date: 2007-04-26T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=13649&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20070426&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2007-170 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0170/2007 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
committees
    council
    • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: General Affairs meeting_id: 2795 url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=2795*&MEET_DATE=24/04/2007 date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00
    docs
    • date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2007-159&language=EN title: B6-0159/2007 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2007-161&language=EN title: B6-0161/2007 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2007-174&language=EN title: B6-0174/2007 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2007-177&language=EN title: B6-0177/2007 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2007-180&language=EN title: B6-0180/2007 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2007-184&language=EN title: B6-0184/2007 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P6-RC-2007-159&language=EN title: RC-B6-0159/2007 type: Joint motion for resolution
    • date: 2007-05-31T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=13649&j=0&l=en title: SP(2007)2625/2 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
    events
    • date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00 type: Resolution/conclusions adopted by Council body: CSL
    • date: 2007-04-26T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=13649&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
    • date: 2007-04-26T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20070426&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 2007-04-26T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2007-170 title: T6-0170/2007 summary: The European Parliament adopted a joint resolution on the kidnapping in Gaza of the journalist Alan Johnston, who was abducted at gunpoint on 12 March 2007 whilst returning home in Gaza City and his whereabouts have remained unknown since that date. Although no group has claimed responsibility, President Abbas has confirmed publicly that there is credible evidence that Mr Johnston is alive, that he is being held in secure conditions and that there is information as to which group is holding him. MEPs called for Mr Johnston to be immediately and unconditionally released unharmed and returned to safety, and expressed theirs warm support for Mr Johnston's family in these difficult circumstances, and for his BBC colleagues and management, who have been campaigning tirelessly to build public and political support for his release. Parliament paid tribute to Mr Johnston's record as a journalist of the highest integrity, with a record of sixteen years working for the BBC and, in particular, the past three years spent in Gaza, where he has been the only permanently-based foreign journalist from a major media organisation. It also expressed solidarity with the IFJ and its member unions, including the Palestinian Journalists" Syndicate, in their efforts to secure Mr Johnston's release and their campaign for a new global commitment to ending threats to independent journalism. Parliament recalled the appeal delivered by the IFJ to the leaders of the Palestinian National Authority on 19 April 2007, with the signatures of 197 Members of the European Parliament. It went on to call on the Palestinian National Authority to redouble its efforts to secure Mr Johnston's speedy release, to ensure that journalists in Gaza are able to carry out their duties free from the threat of kidnap and harassment and to ensure that all attacks against journalists and other civilians are investigated thoroughly and those responsible brought to justice. In addition, the European Commission's Technical Assistance Office to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the diplomatic representatives of the EU Member States and the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) must strengthen and coordinate their efforts to secure Mr Johnston's release and support the Palestinian National Authority's efforts in this regard. Parliament condemned this and all other acts of violence and intimidation against the free exercise of journalism and freedom of expression. It stressed that the safety of journalists must be treated as a priority by all those attached to an open and democratic society and to progress towards peace everywhere, in line with the unanimously agreed United Nations Security Council Resolution S/RES/1738 (2006) adopted on 23 December 2006.
    • date: 2007-04-26T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    links
    other
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure EP 135
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 135
      procedure/subject
      Old
      • 6.10.09 Human rights situation in the world
      • 6.40.05.06 Relations with the countries of the Middle East
      New
      6.10.09
      Human rights situation in the world
      6.40.05.06
      Relations with the countries of the Middle East
      activities
      • date: 2007-04-24T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: General Affairs meeting_id: 2795
      • date: 2007-04-26T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=13649&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20070426&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2007-170 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0170/2007 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
      committees
        links
        other
          procedure
          reference
          2007/2552(RSP)
          title
          Resolution on the kidnapping in Gaza of the journalist Alan Johnston
          legal_basis
          Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 135
          stage_reached
          Procedure completed
          subtype
          Urgent debate or resolution
          type
          RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
          subject