Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-27-Speech-3-035"
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"en.20050427.7.3-035"2
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"Ladies and gentlemen, we are witnessing a new wave of democracy in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Africa. The elections in Ukraine demonstrated the huge potential of civil society in the countries bordering the EU and in those in which the European Union serves as a basic point of reference in political, economic and cultural matters. Evidence of this democratisation can be seen
in the adoption of a constitution and the holding of elections in Afghanistan, in the free elections in Palestine and Iraq and in the major public demonstrations in Lebanon, as well as in the steps that have been taken towards liberalisation in other countries. In Belarus, which is one of the EU’s neighbours, the public is rebelling against authoritarian forms of governance, and a democratic breakthrough can be expected in this country too in the near future. One of the European Union’s current priorities should be to help civil society in Belarus in its struggle for fundamental human rights and democracy.
We are seeing improvements in the human rights situations in a number of countries. In December 2004, Uzbekistan issued a decree granting an amnesty to 5 400 prisoners. In August 2003, Uzbekistan’s Parliament, the Oliy Majlis, adopted amendments to the penal code which mean that torture and other forms of inhuman treatment are now deemed to be crimes for which individuals may be prosecuted, at whatever stage of the criminal process they are committed. At the same time as demanding the release of all remaining political prisoners, the European Parliament should call for the independent judiciary to be strengthened and for further reforms to be carried out in the field of human rights, whilst acknowledging the efforts Uzbekistan has made in terms of measures to prevent torture and to improve the situation of detainees. We should also welcome the fact that steps have been taken to end press censorship in the country."@en1
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