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21:38 GMT
BRUSSELS, March 14 (KUNA) -- The European Parliament (EP) on Thursday
passed three separate resolutions, expressing alarm at the recent violent
clashes in Bangladesh; drawing attention to the plight of Iraqi Turkmen and
other minority groups in Iraq; and demanding the trial or prompt release of
Palestinians held in Israel without charge.
The Parliament is extremely concerned at the death in February of
Palestinian prisoner Arafat Jaradat while in Israeli custody and at the
renewed tensions in the West Bank following his death, according to an EP
statement.
It called on the Israeli authorities to investigate this case and raised
concerns about the Palestinians held in administrative detention without
charge, demanding that they be charged and tried or promptly released.
The EP repeated its call for the immediate release of all imprisoned
members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, including Marwan Barghouti.
MEPs called on EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and the member
states to monitor the fate of Palestinian prisoners and detainees closely and
to raise the issue at all levels of political dialogue with Israel.
The EP expressed alarm by the recent violence in Bangladesh, which led to
over 60 deaths, after the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) sentenced Delwar
Hossain Sayeedi, a Jamaat-e-Islami leader, to death for crimes during the 1971
independence war.
MEPs condemn the recent surge of deadly sectarian violence in Iraq, between
Sunnis and Shi'ites and also against vulnerable minority groups.
They point out that Turkmen, who are in dispute with the Kurds over the
oil-rich Kirkuk region, have been targeted recently by both Kurdish forces and
Arab extremist groups, noted the EP statement.
The EP fears that the violence could cause the provincial elections
scheduled for 20 April 2013 to be cancelled.
MEPs also deeply regret the high execution rate in Iraq, often following
unfair trials and forced confessions. (end)
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KUNA 150038 Mar 13NNNN