Debate on death penalty in Indonesia during the EP pleanry session in Strasbourg. Statements by Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development, Arnaud DANJEAN (EPP, FR), Edouard MARTIN (S&D, FR), Mark DEMESMAEKER (ECR, BE), Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL), Marie-Christine VERGIAT (GUE/NGL, FR) and Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EU - Indonesia (T)

respect for human rights in the world (T)

VERGIAT, Marie-Christine (GUE/NGL, FR)

CASTALDO, Fabio Massimo (Renew, IT)

DEMESMAEKER, Mark (ECR, BE)

SCHAAKE, Marietje (ALDE, NL)

DANJEAN, Arnaud (EPP, FR)

MIMICA, Neven (HR, EC)

MARTIN, Edouard (S&D, FR)

Death penalty in Indonesia: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development, "The irony is that these executions have been carried out in a fully democratic land, in a country that is arguably one of the freest and most democratic countries inside East Asia, with a powerful and active Parliament, and a vibrant and dynamic civil society. It has been agonizing for the prisoners and their families as the events unfolded in a slow motion."

SOUNDBITE (English), Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development, <p>"We have been clear in all our interventions that we fully respect Indonesia sovereignty; we have also offered political support and practical assistance in combatting the trade in narcotics, and other criminal activities which pose challenges to Indonesian society and beyond. Let me assure you that we will continue to engage with the Indonesian authorities on the use of the death penalty."</p>

SOUNDBITE (French), Arnaud DANJEAN (EPP, FR), "We're not magistrates, judges or even lawyers here, really, so it's not up to us to decide on who is innocent or who is guilty in respect to people who have been through the Indonesian Justice. But we are public elected officials, elected by people to represent values, which brings us today to call upon the Indonesian authorities to make sure that our nationals as well as everybody who has been through the process should have a fair trial respecting law, defence procedure : a whole set of things who were not given to a French national, currently still threatened by execution in Indonesia."

SOUNDBITE (French), Arnaud DANJEAN (EPP, FR), "Time is running short. The European union is a partner of Indonesia, we held last November in Jakarta a dialogue on Human Rights between EU and Indonesia. We have signed with indonesia a cooperation and partnership agreement. We are making available, under regional funds, funds for high education in Indonesia, funds for good governance. We cannot but call upon the Indonesian authorities to hear our demand."

SOUNDBITE (French), Edouard MARTIN (S&amp;D, FR), "I would like to send a message to Serge Atlaoui, a French citizen, who comes from my constituency, who is on the death row. Serge has been suffering this psychological pressure since 10 years now, his jailers have already managed to break his mind, as he feels guilty today to be alive. No, Serge, you're not guilty, not guilty to want to live, not guilty to ask for justice, not guilty to desire to see again your four children, not guilty for the suffering you and your family are enduring."

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Mark DEMESMAEKER (ECR, BE), "We think it would be suitable to commute this death sentence to life long emprisonment or another emprisnoment sentence."

SOUNDBITE (English), Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL), "But colleagues, it is quite ironic and actually shameful that on the day that we heard the appalling news of Indonesia's executions, Victor Orban, who's party still remains part of the EPP Group, suggested that the death penalty will be reinstalled in Hungary. Such proposals are entirely inappropriate, and as Mister Orban knows very well, the death penalty is banned in Europe, and I think we should be proud of that."

SOUNDBITE (French), Marie-Christine VERGIAT (GUE/NGL, FR), <p>"Nothing justifies having recourse to this barbarian punishment, furthermore when you know that those that are targeted are only underlings, small smugglers, generally poor and precarious people, and often foreigners and as such deprived from their basics rights for consular assistance and translation services. There are very little drugs barons in the death row."</p>

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT), "Nusa Kambangan, this island probably does not appear on the Indonesian touristic brochure. But it's precisely here, in the so-called Death Valley, that the convicted are escorted from their high security cells. Wearing their white overalls, they are placed in front of the shooting squadron. They have the right to choose whether they will be blind-folded or not, if they wish to stand , knee or sit, this is the sole humanity given to them. You see, we can't judge trials, but we can judge the death penalty as a sanction, and as such, as Italian, as European and as human being, I condemn it : there are no such thing as a commercial interest that can't be sacrificed to the struggle  to gain not only a moratorium but the full abolition of the death penalty."