Progress: Procedure completed
Legal Basis:
RoP 144Events
The European Parliament adopted by 681 votes to 3, with 6 abstentions, a resolution on the blasphemy laws in Pakistan, in particular the case of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel.
The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR and The Left, groups.
Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws have been in place in their present form since 1986, punishing blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad with death or life imprisonment. Despite never having led to official executions, the law incites harassment, violence and murder against those being accused.
The Pakistani couple Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel were sentenced to death on blasphemy charges in 2014. These charges were based on the alleged sending of text messages insulting the Prophet Muhammad from a phone number registered to Shagufta Kausar to the person accusing the couple of blasphemy. The evidence on which the couple were convicted can be considered deeply flawed given their illiteracy and the fact the phone which was allegedly used to send the messages has not been recovered for investigation.
The couple have been detained in jail pending a court ruling on their appeal against their death sentence.
Parliament expressed its concern for the health and wellbeing of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel and urged the Pakistan authorities to ensure that adequate medical care is immediately provided. It called on the Pakistani authorities to release Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar immediately and unconditionally and to overturn their death sentence. There is concern that the continued abuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan is exacerbating existing religious divides and thus fomenting a climate of religious intolerance, violence and discrimination.
Parliament called on the Pakistani Government to:
- unequivocally condemn incitement to violence and discrimination against religions minorities in the country;
- put in place effective, procedural and institutional safeguards at the investigative, prosecutorial and judicial levels to prevent the abuse of the blasphemy laws pending their abolition;
- commute the sentences of all individuals who are facing the death penalty to ensure that their right to a fair trial, which is internationally recognised and safeguarded in the constitution, is respected.
The EU and its diplomatic personnel are urged to do everything they can to provide protection and support for Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel, including by attending trials, requesting prison visits and continuously and resolutely reaching out to the authorities involved in this case.
Member States are called on to facilitate the issuance of emergency visas and to offer international protection for Shagufta Kausar, Shafqat Emmanuel, their lawyer Saiful Malook and others that stand accused for peacefully exercising their rights, including human rights defenders, should they need to leave Pakistan.
Documents
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0157/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0253/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0254/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0255/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0256/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0257/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0258/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0259/2021
- Joint motion for resolution: RC-B9-0254/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0253/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0254/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0255/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0256/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0257/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0258/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0259/2021
- Joint motion for resolution: RC-B9-0254/2021
Activities
- Peter van DALEN
Plenary Speeches (2)Institutional Motions (2)
- Marcel KOLAJA
Plenary Speeches (4)
- 2021/04/29 Blasphemy laws in Pakistan, in particular the case Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel
- 2021/04/29 Blasphemy laws in Pakistan, in particular the case Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel
- 2021/04/29 Blasphemy laws in Pakistan, in particular the case Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel
- 2021/04/29 Blasphemy laws in Pakistan, in particular the case Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel
- Reinhard BÜTIKOFER
Plenary Speeches (1)Institutional Motions (2)
- Emmanuel MAUREL
Plenary Speeches (1)Institutional Motions (2)
- Isabel SANTOS
Plenary Speeches (1)Institutional Motions (2)
- Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA
- Dita CHARANZOVÁ
- Lefteris CHRISTOFOROU
- Ryszard CZARNECKI
- Angel DZHAMBAZKI
- Raffaele FITTO
- Anna FOTYGA
- Karol KARSKI
- Ulrike MÜLLER
- Stanislav POLČÁK
- Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA
Plenary Speeches (1)Institutional Motions (1)
- Jiří POSPÍŠIL
- Paulo RANGEL
- María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS
- Frédérique RIES
- Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ
- Ivan ŠTEFANEC
- Róża THUN UND HOHENSTEIN
- Tom VANDENKENDELAERE
- Peter POLLÁK
- Vladimír BILČÍK
- Klemen GROŠELJ
- David LEGA
- Dragoş PÎSLARU
- Michal ŠIMEČKA
- Ramona STRUGARIU
- Dragoş TUDORACHE
- Witold Jan WASZCZYKOWSKI
- Frances FITZGERALD
- Sara SKYTTEDAL
- Janina OCHOJSKA
- Marek BELKA
- Elżbieta KRUK
- Christian SAGARTZ
- Dominique BILDE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ignazio CORRAO
Institutional Motions (1)
- Rosa D'AMATO
Institutional Motions (1)
- Yannick JADOT
Institutional Motions (1)
- Ryszard Antoni LEGUTKO
Institutional Motions (1)
- Bronis ROPĖ
Institutional Motions (1)
- Evžen TOŠENOVSKÝ
Institutional Motions (1)
- Ruža TOMAŠIĆ
Institutional Motions (1)
- Ernest URTASUN
Institutional Motions (1)
- Lars Patrick BERG
Institutional Motions (1)
- Katalin CSEH
Institutional Motions (1)
- Beata KEMPA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Joachim KUHS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Jérôme RIVIÈRE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Francisco GUERREIRO
Institutional Motions (1)
- Karen MELCHIOR
Institutional Motions (1)
- Elżbieta RAFALSKA
Institutional Motions (1)
- Izabela-Helena KLOC
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Filip DE MAN
Institutional Motions (1)
- Vlad GHEORGHE
Institutional Motions (1)
Votes
Lois sur le blasphème au Pakistan, en particulier le cas de Shagufta Kausar et de Shafqat Emmanuel - Blasphemy laws in Pakistan, in particular the case Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel - Blasphemiegesetze in Pakistan, insbesondere der Fall Shagufta Kausar und Shafqat Emmanuel - RC-B9-0254/2021 - Am 1 #
RC-B9-0254/2021 - Am 12 #
Lois sur le blasphème au Pakistan, en particulier le cas de Shagufta Kausar et de Shafqat Emmanuel - Blasphemy laws in Pakistan, in particular the case Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel - Blasphemiegesetze in Pakistan, insbesondere der Fall Shagufta Kausar und Shafqat Emmanuel - RC-B9-0254/2021 - Proposition de résolution #
History
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