European Parliament Calls for Sanctions on Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Iran
The European Parliament adopted three resolutions on the human rights situation in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Iran, calling for sanctions on the three nations, according to a July 8 press release. The parliament strongly condemned the forced closure of the Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong and recommended sanctions on "individuals and entities responsible." The parliament also called for the cessation of the harassment and intimidation of journalists and the attempted muzzling of pro-democracy activists.
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The parliament also criticized Saudi Arabia's death penalty, which executes children, despite promises that it has eradicated such practices. The recent execution of Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish highlights the continued use of the practice and qualifies for sanctions on "Saudi officials responsible for grave human rights violations." The resolution from the parliament also called for the suspension of exports of mass surveillance technology and other dual-use items to Saudi Arabia.
The European Parliament also adopted a resolution in response to Iran's imminent execution of Swedish-Iranian academic Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali. "The Council should consider more targeted EU sanctions against Iranian regime officials and entities involved in the arbitrary detention and sentencing to death of EU nationals, MEPs urge," the release said. "The text calls on Iran to release its political prisoners, including human rights defenders, as they have been arbitrarily detained solely for exercising their fundamental rights to the freedoms of expression, belief, association, publication, peaceful assembly and media freedom."