2023/2052(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 (new)

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 f (new)

– having regard to the UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2664 as adopted on 9 December 2022,

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a

(a) reaffirm the EU’s support for Syria’s continued democratic aspirations, despite the regime’s total repression since the peaceful protests in 2011, which has been bolstered by decisive military and financial assistance from Iran and Russia ~~to enable Assad and his cronies to retain power~~; highlight the need to pursue inclusive and democratic dialogue between the government and peaceful opposition forces in order to reach a final settlement and end the country's partition;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a

(a) reaffirm the EU’s support for Syria’s continued democratic aspirations, despite the regime’s total repression since the peaceful protests in 2011, which has been bolstered by decisive military and financial assistance from Iran and Russia to enable Assad and his cronies to retain power; denounce the regime´s granting of contracts that allow Russia and Iran to access the country´s resources at the expense of the Syrian people;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a

(a) reaffirm the EU’s strong support for Syria’s continued democratic aspirations, despite the regime’s total repression since the peaceful protests in 2011, which has been bolstered by decisive military and financial assistance from Iran and Russia to enable Assad and his cronies to retain power;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b

(b) stress the regime’s personal responsibility for the death of half a million civilians, the destruction of the country, the displacement of the majority of the population, the torture and disappearance of 150 000 people at the hands of the concentration-camp system, the use of chemical weapons against civilians and the systematic destruction of any peaceful opposition;deleted

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b

(b) stress the regime’s ~~personal~~ responsibility for the death of half a million civilians, the destruction of the country, the displacement of the majority of the population, the torture and disappearance of 150 000 people at the hands of the concentration-camp system, the use of chemical weapons against civilians and the systematic destruction of any peaceful opposition; highlight the responsibility of terrorist organisations and the international actors supporting them for the destruction of the country and the death of civilians; stress the need to ensure accountability for all war crimes committed by the different sides throughout the war in Syria;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b

(b) stress the regime’s personal responsibility for the death of half a million civilians, the destruction of the country, the displacement of the majority of the population, ~~the torture and disappearance of 150 000 people~~and the deliberate change of demographic structure, the torture and disappearance of 150 000 people, among which no fewer than 112 713 forcibly disappeared, at the hands of the concentration-camp system, the use of chemical weapons against civilians and the systematic destruction of any peaceful opposition;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b

(b) stress the regime’s personal responsibility for the death of more than half a million civilians, the destruction of the country, the displacement of the majority of the population (the internally displaced alone are estimated at six and a half million people), the torture and disappearance of 150 000 people at the hands of the concentration-camp system, the use of chemical weapons against civilians and the systematic destruction of any democratic and peaceful opposition;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)

(ba) underline the need to lift sanctions and unilateral coercive measures which currently have an impact on the people of Syria, in line with the call of the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral and coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c

(c) oppose any normalisation of relations with the Assad regime without any profound and verifiable developments in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015), including the release of political prisoners, informing the families of the victims about the fate of the missing and the cessation of any attacks and obstacles to humanitarian aid;deleted

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c

(c) ~~oppose any~~stress the need for normalisation of relations with the Assad regime without any profound and verifiable developments in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015), including the release of political prisoners, informing the families of the victims about the fate of the missing and the cessation of any attacks and obstacles to humanitarian aidin order to return all third country nationals still lingering within the Member States that arrived during the past 10 years under the pretext of being a refugee from Syria;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 g (new)

– having regard to the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2672 as adopted on 9 January 2023,

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c

(c) oppose any normalisation of relations with the Assad regime without any profound and verifiable developments in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015), including the release of political prisoners, informing the families of the victims about the fate of the missing persons and victims of enforced disappearance, and the cessation of any attacks and obstacles to humanitarian aid; call on EU Member States to refrain from measures weakening or undermining the common EU position on Syria;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c

(c) oppose any normalisation of relations with the Assad regime without any profound and objectively verifiable developments in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015), including the release of political prisoners, informing the families of the victims about the fate of the missing and the cessation of any attacks and obstacles to humanitarian aid;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)

(ca) communicate to those countries and societies, whose capitals seek to normalise relations with the Assad regime, the human costs of the atrocities and war crimes committed by the regime;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d

(d) stress that despite the sovereign decision of some Arab states to readmit Syria to the Arab League, the Syrian regime has not given any indication that it wants to combat narcotrafficking, a problem originating in Syria and which affects the whole region; condemn the stranglehold of the Assad family and its allies, including Hezbollah, on the drug Captagon, which is estimated to be worth USD 57 billion; note that the brother of Bashar Al-Assad commands the army unit responsible for facilitating the drug’s production; stress that despite the sovereign decision of some Arab states to readmit Syria to the Arab League, the Syrian regime has not given any indication that it wants to combat narcotrafficking, a problem originating in Syria and which affects the whole region, including Hezbollah, on the drug Captagon, which is estimated to be worth USD 57 billion; note that the brother of Bashar Al-Assad commands the army unit responsible for facilitating the drug's production; note that the European Commission and some Member States such as Germany and Sweden facilitated the spread of drug-gangs within the EU during the 2015 mass-migration crises as they allowed other ethnic groups, some based in Iran, to enter the EU under the false pretence of being a Syrian refugee and that these gangs now have become a major threat to internal stability and security in many Member States;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d

(d) stress that despite the sovereign decision of some Arab states to readmit Syria to the Arab League, the Syrian regime has not given any indication that it wants to combat narcotrafficking, a problem originating in Syria and which affects the whole region; condemn the stranglehold of the Assad family and its allies, including Hezbollah, on the drug Captagon, which is estimated to be worth USD 57 billion; note that the brother of Bashar Al-Assad commands the army unit responsible for facilitating the drug’s production;

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)

(da) condemn the stranglehold of the Assad family and its allies, including Hezbollah, on the drug Captagon, which is estimated to be worth USD 57 billion; note that the brother of Bashar Al-Assad, Maher Al-Assad, commands the army unit responsible for facilitating the drug’s production;

Amendment 116 #

Márton GYÖNGYÖSI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d

(d) stress that despite the sovereign decision of some Arab states to readmit Syria to the Arab League, the Syrian regime has not given any indication that it wants to combat narcotrafficking, a problem originating in Syria and which affects the whole region; condemn the stranglehold of the Assad family and its allies, including Hezbollah, on the drug Ccaptagon, which is estimated to be worth USD 57 billion; note that the brother of Bashar Al-Assad commands the army unit responsible for facilitating the drug’s production;

Amendment 117 #

Márton GYÖNGYÖSI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)

(da) stress that the trade of Captagon contributes to terrorism financing and the growing threat on the security of Israel and the Middle East, as the Syrian government and its allies, including Hezbollah, that has already threatened with further escalation of the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas, are using narcotrafficking as a means for economic survival;

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)

(da) set up an EU coordinated security response to prevent the EU being used as a transshipment zone for Captagon produced in Syria and Lebanon;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e

(e) stress that the repression, negligence and corruption on the part of the regime are responsible for the economic situation, not the targeted sanctions from the EU against individuals and entities involved in the repression;deleted

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 h (new)

– having regard to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 77/301 of 29 June 2023, establishing an Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic,

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e

(e) stress that the repression, negligence and corruption on the part of the regime are responsible for the economic situation, ~~not~~as well as the targeted sanctions from the EU against individuals and entities ~~involved in the repression~~;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e

(e) stress that the repression, negligence and corruption on the part of the regime are responsible for the economic situation, not the targeted sanctions from the EU against individuals and entities involved in the repression; commit to a constant review and adjustment of the targeted and sectoral sanctions to prevent any unintended effects, such as over-compliance by banks that can impede aid groups to transfer funds into the country and to run programmes or pay local staff and suppliers, even when the transactions are to support activities exempt from sanctions;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e

(e) stress that the repression, negligence and corruption on the part of the regime are responsible for the economic situation, not the targeted sanctions from the EU against individuals and entities involved in the repression; underline, however, that EU restrictive measures need to be accurate, local and must foresee exemptions for humanitarian aid;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e

(e) stress that the policies of the regime as well as repression, negligence and corruption on the part of the regime are responsible for the economic situation, not the targeted sanctions from the EU against individuals and entities involved in the repression;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g

(g) salute the courage of all demonstrators, in particular recently the demonstrators in the towns of Souweïda and Deraa who have once again been rising up peacefully against the Assad regime since August 2023;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)

(ua) involve the Syrian civil society networks in Europe and their networks inside Syria in the design and implementation of EU foreign policy towards Syria; protect human rights defenders and activists in the region; provide long-term, flexible and core support to Syrian civil society organisations in the region and in Europe;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)

(ga) commend the efforts for stabilisation and cooperation in the region undertaken through the Abraham Accords and promote the idea that Syria would also benefit from this development one day in the future;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q b (new)

(qb) strongly condemn all forms of religious discrimination and insist on respect by all for the rights of ethnic and religious groups and minorities in Syria, including Christians; make sure that education and educational materials are in line with these principles; call for anyone who has been displaced, to continue to live in or return to their historical and traditional homelands in dignity, equality and safety, and to be able to freely practise their religion and beliefs without being subjected to any kind of coercion, violence or discrimination; support interreligious dialogue in order to promote mutual understanding and counter violent extremism or any attempt to supress freedom of speech or of religion;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q c (new)

(qc) urge the EU and its Member States to condemn and fight any form of religious hatred, anti-Semitic propaganda, and anti-Zionism in Syria;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h

(h) deplore the continued presence on Syrian territory of hundreds of Iranian, Turkish and Russian bases and Iranian and Russian militias; express concern about the economic exploitation of the country by predatory foreign powers as well as investments into luxury real estate in Syria by the United Arab Emirates, such as the Marota City project in Damascus;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)

– having regard to the report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syrian Arab Republic of 21 January 2021 to the 46th regular session of the Human Rights Council,

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h

(h) deplore the continued presence on Syrian territory of hundreds of Iranian and Russian bases and militias, as well as the presence of Turkish and US military and their proxies; express concern about the economic exploitation of the country by predatory foreign powers, including the exploitation of Syrian oil by the US;

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h

(h) deplore ~~the continu~~and counter the continued and even expanded presence on Syrian territory of hundreds of Iranian and Russian bases and militias; express concern about the economic exploitation of the country by predatory foreign powers;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h

(h) deplore the continued presence on Syrian territory of hundreds of Iranian and Russian bases and militias; express deep concern about the economic exploitation of the country by predatory foreign powers;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i

(i) ~~condemn the attacks by Turkish forces and their occupation of Syrian territories in the north~~note that Türkiye, is the most affected NATO Ally by the conflict in Syria, which has suffered the most terrorist attacks, and which hosts millions of refugees; recognise that Turkish operations to combat threats from across the border and Turkish military presence on the Syrian territories should not only meet Türkiye's security concerns but also be aligned with international law and U.N. resolutions; express their deep concern about the persistence of radical Islamist ~~opposition~~militias and terrorist groups in Idlib province; support the continuation of the international coalition against the Islamic State, which remains active in Syria despite significant defeats;

Amendment 134 #

Thierry MARIANI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i

(i) condemn the attacks by Turkish forces and their occupation of Syrian territories in the north, and the role played by Türkiye, which objectively supports the jihadist rebels used as mercenaries against civilians, including Christians and Kurds; end unconditionally and irrevocably the accession negotiations with Türkiye; express their deep concern about the persistence of radical Islamist opposition in Idlib province; support the continuation of the international coalition against the Islamic State, which remains active in Syria despite significant defeats;

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i

(i) condemn the attacks by Turkish forces and their occupation of Syrian territories in the north; express their deep concern about the persistence of radical Islamist opposition in Idlib province; ~~support the continuation of the international coalition against the Islamic State, which remains active in Syria despite significant defeats~~call for a UN-led process to take place in order for Turkish, US and Israeli forces to abandon the Syrian territories they occupy and to ensure that the Syrian people can face the security challenges and threats still present in their territory with the support they require;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i

(i) condemn the attacks by Turkish forces and their occupation of Syrian territories in the north; express their deep concern about the persistence of radical Islamist opposition in Idlib province; call on Türkiye to refrain from acting as a silent partner along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the provision of direct and indirect financial assistance to Islamist armed opposition groups; support the continuation of the international coalition against the Islamic State, which remains active in Syria despite significant defeats, in order to prevent the regrouping of this terrorist organisation;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i

(i) condemn the attacks by Turkish forces and their occupation of Syrian territories in the north; express their deep concern about the persistence of radical Islamist opposition in Idlib province; support the continuation of the international coalition against the Islamic State, which remains active in Syria despite significant defeats; call for a determined international effort to continue its fight against the Islamic State in Syria until its complete elimination;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i

(i) condemn the attacks by Turkish forces and their occupation of Syrian territories in the north as well as the renewed brutal military campaign by the Syrian government and Russia in north- western Syria, including on civilian targets; express their deep concern about the persistence of radical Islamist opposition in Idlib province; support the continuation of the international coalition against ~~the Islamic State~~Daesh, which remains active in Syria despite significant defeats;

Amendment 139 #

Lukas MANDL, David LEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l c (new)

(lc) recall that Turkish unilateral military actions constitute a grave violation of international law and has undermined the stability and security of the region as a whole;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 i (new)

– having regard to the report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 14 August 2023 to the 54th regular session of the Human Rights Council,

Amendment 140 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l a (new)

(la) condemn the Assad regime’s permissive attitude towards Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, especially with regards to facilitation efforts in the Iraq conflict, as it has fed the growth of Al- Qaeda, ISIS, and affiliated terrorist networks inside Syria;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)

(ia) track, dismantle and prosecute members of the jihadist networks which campaigned, radicalised, recruited, transferred and commanded over five thousand foreign fighters from Europe to Syria and Iraq;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)

(ga) continue to support the Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS in terms of political, financial, operational and logistical means;

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)

(ia) condemn the repeated airstrikes and other attacks by the Israeli military on Syrian territory and underline the need to put an end to them immediately;

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j

(j) stress the role of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against Daesh; urge local partners of the international coalition to comply with international law, to continue the process of democratisation and to hold their forces to account;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j

(j) stress the role of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against Daesh; support the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in managing the European prisoners held in camps in north-east Syria and treat it as a representative of the Syrian opposition;

Amendment 146 #

Thierry MARIANI, Jean-Lin LACAPELLE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j

(j) stress the role of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against Daesh in northeast Syria;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k

~~(k) urge Member States to continue repatriating their nationals from the Al- Hol and Roj jihadist prison camps and to try them for the crimes they have commit~~deleted;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k

~~(k) urge Member States to continue repatriating their nationals from the Al- Hol and Roj jihadist prison camps and to try them for the crimes they have commit~~deleted;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k

(k) urge Member States to ~~continue~~stop repatriating theird country nationals who have EU Member State documents from the Al-Hol and Roj jihadist prison camps and ~~to try them~~ensure that they are tried for the crimes they have committed locally, in Syria, and that they will face the punishment locally, in Syria;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)

– having regard to the report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 14 August 2023 to the 54th regular session of the Human Rights Council,

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k

(k) ~~urg~~note that it is up to the Member States to ~~continue~~decide whether to repatriat~~ing~~e their nationals from the Al- Hol and Roj jihadist prison camps and to try them at home for the crimes they have committed abroad in Syria;

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k

(k) urge Member States to continue ~~repatriating their nationals from the Al- Hol and Roj jihadist prison camps and to try them~~trying returned jihadists for the crimes they have committed;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k

(k) urge Member States to continue repatriating their nationals from the Al-Hol and Roj jihadist prison camps, giving urgent priority to children and their mothers, and provide rehabilitation and reintegration assistance; ask EU Member States to prosecute adults as appropriate and to try them for the crimes they have committed in fair trials;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)

(ka) express serious concern about the deteriorating humanitarian, sanitary and security situation in the camps in north- east Syria, especially the Al-Hol and Roj camps, which continue to be breeding grounds for radicalisation; believe that the EU nationals held in those camps and suspected of belonging to terrorist organisations should be tried in court;

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k b (new)

(kb) call on the Member States to protect minors who are EU nationals and who may be detained for security-related offences or association with armed groups;

Amendment 155 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k c (new)

(kc) call on the Member States to repatriate all European children, offering them adequate support and reintegration; call on them to promote in all bilateral relations and international bodies the repatriation of all children of nationals of third countries fully respecting international law;

Amendment 156 #

Nathalie LOISEAU, Hilde VAUTMANS, Javier NART

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l

(l) step up efforts to counter Russian disinformation about the Syrian civil war and other conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, including disinformation in the Arabic language;

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l

(l) step up efforts to counter Russian disinformation about Syria, including disinformation in Arabic; take the necessary steps in order to ensure that online platforms substantially increase their fight against disinformation in the region, in particular through the recruitment of Arabic-speakers to moderate online content;

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l

(l) step up efforts to counter Russian disinformation about Syria, including disinformation in Arabic, including by translating Syria-related resolutions, reports and decisions into Arabic language;

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l

(l) step up efforts to counter Russian and Iranian disinformation about Syria, including disinformation in Arabic;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)

– having regard to the report of the visit to the Syrian Arab Republic of the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights of 3 July 2023 to the 54th regular session of Human Rights Council,

Amendment 160 #

Nathalie LOISEAU, Hilde VAUTMANS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l

(l) step up efforts to counter ~~Russian~~all disinformation about Syria, including disinformation in Arabic;

Amendment 161 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l a (new)

(la) condemn the launch of two Syrian rockets towards Israel and the Israeli- occupied Golan heights, by Syrian forces, on October 16, and the sending of an unarmed drone to the North of Israel;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h b (new)

(hb) strongly condemn the launching of drones and rockets from Syrian territory towards Israel and stress that Syria should not be dragged into a regional war by Iran;

Amendment 163 #

Nathalie LOISEAU, Hilde VAUTMANS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l b (new)

(lb) stress the need for close cooperation with our transatlantic partners and Israel on fighting terrorist groups in Syria and beyond; underline its full support for Israel on fighting terrorist groups in Syria and Iran’s supplies of missiles to Hezbollah and its attempts to establish a military front on Israel’s border;

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l b (new)

(lb) condemn the repeated attempts by Hezbollah to receive Iranian weapons through Syrian territory;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 3

~~Fight against impunity~~deleted

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m

(m) stress that the fight against impunity in Syria is a moral and political imperative for Europe; welcome the judicial progress made by the Franco- German Joint Investigation Team regarding the 11 000 bodies of torture victims identified in the César report, the suspension of Syria from the International Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the progress made in Germany, France and Sweden in bringing Syrian criminals to justice;deleted

Amendment 167 #

Nathalie LOISEAU, Hilde VAUTMANS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m

(m) stress that the fight against impunity in Syria is a moral and political imperative for Europe; welcome the judicial progress made by the Franco- German Joint Investigation Team regarding the 11 000 bodies of torture victims identified in the César report, the suspension of Syria from the International Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ~~and the progress made in Germany, France and Sweden in bringing Syrian criminals to justice~~, the international arrest warrant issued by France against Bashar Al-Assad, his brother Maher Al- Assad and two further individuals, for their complicity in crimes against humanity over chemical attacks in 2013, the ICJ order to prevent torture after the Netherlands and Canada filed a case regarding Syria’s violation of the international Convention Against Torture, and the progress made in Germany, France and Sweden in bringing Syrian criminals to justice, such as through the criminal trials in Koblenz and Frankfurt; encourage all EU Member States to implement universal jurisdiction;

Amendment 168 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m

(m) stress that the fight against impunity in Syria is a moral and political imperative for Europe; welcome the judicial progress made by the Franco- German Joint Investigation Team regarding the 11 000 bodies of torture victims identified in the César report, the suspension of Syria from the International Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the progress made in Germany, France and Sweden in bringing Syrian criminals to justice; welcome the issuance of international arrest warrants against Bashar Al-Assad, his brother Maher Al-Assad and two generals, by French courts in November 2023, for crimes against humanity relating to their use of chemical weapons on civilians;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m

(m) stress that the fight against impunity in Syria is a moral and political imperative for Europe; welcome the judicial progress made by the Franco- German Joint Investigation Team regarding the 11 000 bodies of torture victims identified in the César report, the suspension of Syria from the International Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the progress made in Germany, France and Sweden in bringing Syrian criminals to justice; welcome the ICJ’s November order directing Syria to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of torture and other abuses;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 l (new)

– having regard to the operation update for October 2023 by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),

Amendment 170 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m

(m) stress that the fight against impunity in Syria is a moral and political imperative for ~~Europe~~the international community; welcome the judicial progress made by the Franco- German Joint Investigation Team regarding the 11 000 bodies of torture victims identified in the César report, the suspension of Syria from the International Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the progress made in Germany, France and Sweden in bringing Syrian criminals to justice;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m a (new)

(ma) support attempts to bring the leadership of the Syrian regime to justice; welcome an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and his inner circle issued by France for their complicity in crimes against humanity over chemical attacks in 2013;

Amendment 172 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n

(n) urge that information be exchanged automatically between all Member States on war criminals whose asylum applications are rejected under Article 1(F) of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees;deleted

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n

(n) condemn the irresponsible policy of open borders "Wir schaffen das" which brought to the EU thousands of unverified people, including war criminals and terrorists, thus weakening Europe's security, as demonstrated in the tragic terrorist attacks of Paris and Brussels - both with links to Syria; urge that information be exchanged automatically between all Member States on war criminals whose asylum applications are rejected under Article 1(F) of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees;

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n

(n) urge that information be exchanged ~~automat~~under judicially supervision between all Member States on possible war criminals whose asylum applications are rejected under Article 1(F) of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees;

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n

(n) urge that information be exchanged automatically between all Member States on ~~war~~those implicated in serious crim~~inal~~es whose asylum applications are rejected under Article 1(F) of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees;

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n

(n) urge that information be exchanged ~~automatically~~ between all Member States on war criminals whose asylum applications are rejected under Article 1(F) of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees;

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n a (new)

(na) commend the work of journalists, bloggers and individuals as well as organisations, such as the White Helmets, who, despite the brutality of the regime, continue to carry out their work in the country, informing the international community, supporting victims on the ground and maintaining focus on the future of the country;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o

(o) call for the pooling of expertise and interpreters among the judicial and police authorities, and for a public prosecutor to be appointed in each Member State for crimes against humanity; call for European scholarships to be specifically allocated to Syrians seeking legal training;deleted

Amendment 179 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o

(o) call for the pooling of expertise and interpreters among the judicial and police authorities, and ~~for a public prosecutor to be appointed in each Member State for crimes against humanity~~to ensure an exchange of best practices between Member States and third country law enforcement, judges and prosecutors, to effectively prosecute the crimes against humanity committed by the Syrian regime; call for ~~European~~ scholarships to be specifically allocated to Syrians seeking legal training;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 j (new)

– having regard to the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of 16 November 2023 on the request for the indication of provisional measures for the application of the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Canada and the Netherlands v. Syrian Arab Republic),

Amendment 180 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o

(o) call for the pooling of expertise and interpreters among the judicial and police authorities, and for a public prosecutor to be appointed in each Member State for crimes against humanity; ~~call for European scholarships to be specifically allocated to Syrians seeking legal training;~~

Amendment 181 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o

(o) call for the pooling of expertise and interpreters among the judicial and police authorities, and for a public prosecutor to be appointed in each Member State for crimes against humanity; call on EU Member States to establish specialised war crime units within law enforcement and prosecution services, where they do not already exist, and ensure they are adequately resourced; encourage the Member States to pay particular attention to, and prevent, the activities of Syrian intelligence services and their influence on the Syrian diaspora, including the protection of witnesses; call for European scholarships to be specifically allocated to Syrians seeking legal training;

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p

(p) call on Member States to establish a European fund for victims of crimes against humanity in Syria, by developing a legal framework allowing the transfer to families of the victims funds frozen for being linked to property unlawfully acquired by the Syrian regime;deleted

Amendment 183 #

Nathalie LOISEAU, Hilde VAUTMANS, Javier NART

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p

(p) call on Member States to ~~establish a European fund f~~support victims of crimes against humanity in Syria, by ~~developing a legal framework~~looking at possibilities to allow~~ing~~ the transfer to families of the victims funds frozen for being linked to property unlawfully acquired by the Syrian regime;

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p

(p) call on Member States to establish a European fund for victims of ~~crimes against humanity~~serious violations of international law in Syria, by ide~~veloping a legal framework allowing the transfer to families of the victims funds frozen for being linked to property unlawfully acquired by the Syrian regime~~ntifying existing funds linked to violations of international law in Syria within their jurisdictions, such as monetary judgements, sanctions fines and penalties, forfeiture orders, funds frozen for being linked to property unlawfully acquired by the Syrian regime, and other revenue; call to develop a legal framework allowing the transfer of such funds to the families of the victims; recall that such funds must be carefully designed in full cooperation with the families of the victims;

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p

(p) call on Member States to establish a European fund for victims of crimes against humanity in Syria, by developing a legal framework allowing the transfer to families of the victims funds frozen for being linked to property unlawfully acquired by the Syrian regime as well as wealth plundered by Assad and his accomplices;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p

(p) call on Member States to establish a European fund for victims of crimes against humanity in Syria and victims of torture, by developing a legal framework allowing the transfer to families of the victims funds frozen for being linked to property unlawfully acquired by the Syrian regime;

Amendment 187 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)

(pa) recognise the ongoing threat of looted art and illicit trafficking in cultural goods by both the Assad regime and ISIS carried out in Syria; urge the EU's action plan against trafficking in cultural goods to be strengthened along with third country cooperation to ensure that cultural goods are protected, removed from the black market, and are repatriated to the countries of origin when the conditions permit; recognise that the illicit trafficking of cultural goods remains a principle source of revenue for ISIS and the regime;

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q

(q) welcome the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution of 29 June 2023 establishing an Institution for Missing Persons in Syria, and the continued funding of the International, Independent and Impartial Mechanism to support investigations into the most serious crimes committed in Syria since 2011;deleted

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q

(q) welcome the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution of 29 June 2023 establishing an Institution for Missing Persons in Syria, and ~~the~~support the new mechanism once finalised; continued funding of the International, Independent and Impartial Mechanism to support investigations into the most serious crimes committed in Syria since 2011;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 b (new)

– having regard to the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of 16 November 2023 on the request for the indication of provisional measures for the application of the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Canada and the Netherlands v Syrian Arab Republic),

Amendment 190 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)

(qa) urge the EU and its Member States to expand the list of those subject to targeted sanctions under the so-called EU Magnitsky Act, including the Syrian and Russian civilian and military commanders who have been credibly implicated in war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious violations committed in north-west Syria, including those falling within command responsibility;

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r

(r) invite the international community, at the 2024 Brussels Conference, to indecrease urgently its humanitarian assistance to the 15.3 million Syrians who depend on it on a daily basis; insist on ~~access to clean water, education and long- term budget support tailored to women’s needs; point out that the EU is the biggest contributor~~funding for the immediate repatriation of all third country nationals from the Member States who managed to get into th~~is regard; welcome the continued efforts of Lebanon, Jordan, Türkiye and Iraq to host 6 million refugees while facing difficult economic conditions~~e EU under the pretext of being a refugee from Syria;

Amendment 192 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r

(r) ~~invit~~urge the international community, at the 2024 Brussels Conference, to increase urgently its humanitarian assistance to the 15.3 million Syrians who depend on it on a daily basis; insist on access to clean water, education and long- term budget support tailored to women’s needs; point out that the EU is the biggest contributor in this regard; welcome the continued efforts of Lebanon, Jordan, Türkiye and Iraq to host 6 million refugees while facing difficult economic conditioncall on the European Commission and EU Member States to step up efforts to support the work of local civil society and refugee-led organisations; stress the importance for aid agencies to reinforce accountability to the beneficiaries of assistance and act on their feedback and needs, in line with the principle of “Accountability to Affected Populations”; point out that the EU is the biggest contributor in this regard; welcome the continued efforts of Lebanon, Jordan, Türkiye and Iraq to host 6 million refugees while facing difficult economic conditions; makes sure that financial support provided to host countries adheres to International Law, in particular non- refoulement and the protection of refugees, including against attacks, discrimination and hate-speech; calls on the Commission to assess and monitor the compliance of the programmes supported by EU funds with the rights and principles enshrined in the Union acquis;

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r

(r) invite the international community, at the 2024 Brussels Conference, to increase urgently its humanitarian assistance to the 15.3 million Syrians who depend on it on a daily basis; insist on access to clean water, education and long- term budget support tailored to women’s needs; point out that the EU is the biggest contributor in this regard; welcome the continued efforts of Lebanon, Jordan, Türkiye and Iraq to host 6 million refugees while facing difficult economic conditions, while calling on these host countries to respect their obligations under international law to effectively provide protection and access to fundamental rights to Syrians, refraining from deportations or refoulement, as well as promoting hate speech and discriminatory narratives;

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r

(r) invite the international community, at the 2024 Brussels Conference, to increase urgently its humanitarian assistance to the 15.3 million Syrians who depend on it on a daily basis; insist on access to clean water, ~~education~~including drinking water, sanitary water and water for agricultural purposes, formal education, also for girls and women, energy supply, affordable motor fuels and long- term budget support tailored to women’s needs; point out that the EU is the biggest contributor in this regard; welcome the continued efforts of Lebanon, Jordan, Türkiye and Iraq to host 6 million refugees while facing difficult economic conditionfocus on directing humanitarian aid especially towards clean water, affordable energy, heating, health care and health products; point out that the EU is the biggest contributor in this regard; take note of the efforts of neighbouring countries who fulfil their responsibility to host refugees;

Amendment 195 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r

(r) invite the international community, at the 2024 Brussels Conference, to increase urgently its humanitarian assistance to the 15.3 million Syrians who depend on it on a daily basis; insist on access to clean water, sanitation, education and long- term budget support tailored to women’s needs; point out that the EU is the biggest contributor in this regard; ~~welcome the continued efforts of Lebanon, Jordan, Türkiye and Iraq to host 6 million refugees while facing difficult economic conditions;~~

Amendment 196 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)

(ra) welcome the continued efforts of Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt to host 6 million refugees while facing difficult economic conditions themselves; reiterate the need to guarantee the status of refugees, refraining from any discrimination towards minorities;

Amendment 197 #

David LEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r

(r) invite the international community, at the 2024 Brussels Conference, to increase urgently its humanitarian assistance to the 15.3 million Syrians who depend on it on a daily basis; insist on access to clean water, education and long- term budget support tailored to women’s needs; point out that the EU is the biggest contributor in this regard; ~~welcome the continued efforts of~~express solidarity with Lebanon, Jordan, Türkiye and Iraq for their continued efforts to host 6 million refugees while facing difficult economic conditions;

Amendment 198 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)

(ra) develop and implement a human- rights based relief and recovery response to address the needs emerging from the 6 February 2023 earthquakes, that allows for the meaningful participation of a diverse set of local civil society organisations and communities, including women-led initiatives, in the determination of needs and the design, planning and evaluation of humanitarian programming and structural support, including contingency planning for possible future natural disasters;

Amendment 199 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)

(da) invite wealthy countries from the region to intensify their humanitarian efforts for refugees fleeing from the brutality of Assad's war;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 a (new)

– having regard to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) ratified by Syria on 21 April 1969,

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 k (new)

– having regard to the order of the Paris Judicial Court (TJP) of 14 November 2023 issuing an international arrest warrant against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Maher Al-Assad, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam Al-Hassan,

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)

(ra) highlight that the effectiveness of the international aid provided by the EU and other international acts is severely damaged by sanctions and unilateral coercive measures imposed on Syria, as well as on all of Syria's economy, as they target key sectors for the country's development and prevent access to international markets;

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)

(ra) step up efforts in order to make education for all a priority; in this regard, increase support for the creation of SMEs and local businesses;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r b (new)

(rb) recognise the huge cultural heritage of Syria as a major part of cultural world heritage and as a source for resolving some problems of the country;

Amendment 203 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r c (new)

(rc) increase the resettlement quotas of EU Member States for Syrian refugees living in host countries and increase EU Member States´ efforts in welcoming Syrian refugees in the EU;

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)

(ta) increase resettlement quotas of EU Member States for Syrian refugees, and ensure that Syrian refugees and Palestine refugees fleeing from Syria are granted international protection and access to fundamental rights and services in the EU;

Amendment 205 #

Lukas MANDL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r c (new)

(rc) recognise Aramaic as an endangered minority language, since it's only spoken by about 100 000 people in Syria, while in Europe this number is as high as 500 000 people;

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s

(s) ~~condemn the systematic~~express concern about the allegations of attempts by the Syrian regime to divert international humanitarian aid and transfer it to militias, and the alleged regime’'s manipulation of exchange rates with the aim of seizing the majority of the aid in the territories under its control, call for an independent investigation into these allegations and the immediate end to all types of aid for Syria;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t

(t) strongly condemn Russia’s countless vetos against delivering aid to the people in the north~~; denounce once again Russia’s attempts to tarnish the image of white helmets~~, namely on the renewal of UNSC Resolution 2672 (2023) by not allowing to extend the access through Bab al-Hawa; denounce once again Russia’s attempts to tarnish the image of the White Helmets; note the government´s decision to grant further access to UN humanitarian agencies and partners through the corridor of Bab al-Hawa until 13 January 2024, and Bab al-Salam and AlRai until 13 February 2024; remind all parties responsible of the absolute need to keep these accesses open;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t

(t) strongly condemn Russia’s countless vetos against delivering aid to the people in the north; denounce once again Russia’s attempts to tarnish the image of wWhite ~~helmet~~Helmets; stress that the White Helmets play a significant role in the rescue of Syrian civilians, often at the cost of their own lives;

Amendment 209 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t

(t) strongly condemn Russia’s countless vetos against delivering aid to the people in the north; denounce once again Russia’s attempts to tarnish the image of wthe “White hHelmets (Syria Civil Defense)”;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 c (new)

– having regard to the order of the Paris Judicial Court (TJP) of 14 November 2023 issuing an international arrest warrant against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Maher al-Assad, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan,

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r b (new)

(rb) urge the European Commission and EU Member States to, in parallel with robust diplomatic action at the level of the UN Security Council, obtain the continued operation of the border crossings of Bab al-Hawa, Bab al-Salaam and Al-Rai, for a minimum period of 12 months; explore the possibility to also channel resources through the recently established “Aid Fund for Northern Syria” (AFNS);

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)

(ta) urge for the UN General Assembly to codify aid access without consent where the state arbitrarily and systematically denies access; call on the UN to implement resolutions that address arbitrary denial of aid as a war crime;

Amendment 212 #