The cross-party resolution, co-proposed by London’s Green MEP Jean Lambert, comes just weeks after Christian Meriam Yahia Ibrahim was released after successfully appealing against a death penalty for apostasy.

“Meriam’s case truly shocked the world,” said Ms Lambert. “That she was sentenced to death for what should have been a private religious decision, and forced to give birth in prison, in shackles, was a clear violation of her most basic human rights.

“Sadly, she is not alone. Her case is just one of a series of judicial decisions against women and girls that criminalise these private and personal decisions and, in many cases, lead to cruel and inhumane punishments.

“Sudan really needs to commit to fully protect the freedom of expression, religion and privacy of all living in the country, in line with its commitments under international human rights treaties.”

She added: “It needs to repeal all laws pulling in a different direction, change its policy regarding the way women prisoners are treated during childbirth, abolish the death penalty, and end a culture of impunity for those committing human rights abuses, which would include bringing all responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur to justice.

“I hope this resolution passed this week with cross-party support makes the EU position clear, and will prompt the Sudanese government into swift action.”

For the full text of the resolution, see here.

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Recent rapprochement between Myanmar’s military junta and Europe – which has seen political prisoners including EU Sakharov prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi released from jail – has done little to prevent the persecution of the country’s Rohingya minority.

Ms Lambert has previously called for future trade between the EU and Myanmar to be limited unless the South-East Asian country protects Muslims living there.

Now she will host a discussion in the European Parliament on the plight of the Burmese Rohingya, to coincide with an exhibition of photographs documenting their lives.

Other participants in the debate include photographer Greg Constantine, Tim Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, and Lotte Licht, EU Director of Human Rights Watch.

The discussion takes place next Thursday, November 28th – with the exhibition, entitled: ‘Exiled to Nowhere: Burma’s Rohingya’, running all week.

Speaking before the event, Ms Lambert said:

“Earlier this year the European Parliament condemned the Government of Myanmar for failing to uphold the human rights and fundamental freedoms of its Rohingya minority, an issue often overlooked in global consideration of Burmese politics – and this exhibition and debate is about raising awareness of their plight.

“Burma’s Rohingya minority has suffered grave human rights abuses – described by Human Rights Watch as a deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing.

“Violent attacks against the Muslim Rohingya people have included rape, torture, destruction of property and places of worship as well as official long-standing restrictions on freedom of movement, marriage rights and freedom of education. Thousands of displaced Rohingya are now living in neighbouring Thailand and, especially, Bangladesh.

“I call on the Government of Myanmar to recognise and uphold all their rights and do all it can to protect the Rohingya peoples from organised violence.”

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Ms Lambert, Chair of the European Parliament’s delegation to South Asia, including Pakistan, has called for better protection for religious minorities in the country following the two blasts – both outside a church in Peshawar.

She said: “These killing are an absolute tragedy, and all our thoughts are with the families and friends of those killed and injured.

“But they are just the latest attack on minorities in the country, and they underline the need for more state protection and better local measures to promote greater understanding between followers of different faiths – and none.”

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Her comments came as MEPs rebuked the state for the ongoing persecution of and violence against its Rohingya minority which has seen 46 killed and 14,000 people displaced since March alone. More have joined the thousands displaced in earlier crackdowns and now in Thailand and especially Bangladesh.

Violent attacks against the Muslim Rohingya people – which began in Rakhine province but have now spread across the country – have included rape, torture, destruction of property and places of worship as well as official long-standing restrictions on freedom of movement, marriage rights and freedom of education.

The Burmese Government is now considering a policy of limiting Rohingya women to having a maximum of two children, in what human rights organisations have called a policy of ethnic cleansing .

Ms Lambert, Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation to South Asia, said:

“Human Rights Watch has called the Burmese Government’s actions towards the Rohingya people a ‘crime against humanity’.

“MEPs have today agreed: we condemn all violations of human rights and express our deepest condolence to all those affected by the violence and ongoing persecution.

“We call on the Burmese Government to do all it can to protect the Rohingya population from organised violence, to allow aid workers, diplomats and journalists unhindered access to all parts of the country, and to amend its law so all religious and ethnic minorities living in the country are granted full citizenship before elections next year.

“The EU allows Burma access to some EU markets through a scheme known as the ‘Generalised System of Preference’ – this must be conditional on an end to all abuses of fundamental freedoms and human rights, against the Rohingya population or more generally.”

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Ms Lambert, a member of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee, said:
“Holocaust Memorial Day is the international day of the remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides. In commemoration of victims and in honouring survivors we must commit to tackling prejudice, discrimination, anti-Semitism and racism in the present day wherever we can.

“Ethnic division and intolerance have continued to fuel violence and genocide in countries like Rwanda, Armenia, Kosovo and Cambodia. Far from being free from such abhorrent bigotry, across Europe, millions of Roma, people from LGBT communities, and others are still facing pervasive discrimination and prejudice and hate crimes are all too frequent.

“It falls to every single one of us to help develop a community which is tolerant and inclusive, and in doing so, it’s vital we take this time to remember the survivors of all such tragedies and those who go on suffering around the world. The lesson we must remember from the Holocaust is that we must never stand by and let hatred take root.”

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