Human rights breaches in Thailand, Sudan and Azerbaijan

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.

• MEPs condemn the deportation of Uyghur refugees from Thailand and the lese-majesty law in the country 
• Urgent need to address sexual violence and child rape in Sudan 
• Parliament denounces Azerbaijan’s unjust detention of Armenian hostages 

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted human rights resolutions on Thailand, Sudan and Azerbaijan.

Violations of democratic principles and human rights in Thailand, notably the lese-majesty law and the deportation of Uyghur refugees

Parliament condemns the deportation of Uyghur refugees to China, and urges Thailand to halt any further forced returns to countries where peoples’ lives are at risk. MEPs call on the Commission to leverage free trade agreement negotiations to press Thailand to reform the country’s lese-majesty law, release political prisoners, halt the deportation of Uyghur refugees, and to ratify all core International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

MEPs appeal to the Thai government to grant the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) unrestricted access to all detained Uyghur asylum seekers and provide transparent information on their status. They want Thailand to strengthen its institutions in line with human rights standards and to grant amnesty to all parliamentarians and activists persecuted or imprisoned under repressive laws, including through convictions for lese-majesty.

Extradition treaties with China should be suspended, MEPs say, insisting that China must respect the fundamental rights of deported Uyghurs, ensure transparency about their whereabouts, grant the UNHCR access, and release detainees.

MEPs adopted the resolution by 482 votes in favour, 57 against and 68 abstentions. For further details, the full version will be available here. (13.03.2025)

The severe political, humanitarian and human rights crisis in Sudan, in particular sexual violence and child rape

MEPs call on all parties in Sudan to immediately cease hostilities, seek a negotiated solution to the conflict in the country, and adhere fully to the Jeddah Declaration. They demand unhindered access for humanitarian aid, particularly food and medical assistance, for the millions of displaced civilians in Sudan.

MEPs strongly condemn the widespread attacks on civilians and the sexual violence, particularly the alarming rise in child rape, committed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Comprehensive support for survivors must be provided and those responsible for these crimes must be held accountable.

Parliament urges member states to impose sanctions on key figures, including Abdel Rahim Hamdan Dagalo and Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo. It advocates for increased humanitarian aid, support for war crimes investigations, and stronger measures to protect women and children, including an end to the recruitment of child soldiers.

The resolution was adopted by 575 votes in favour, 7 against and 35 abstentions. The full version will be available here (13.03.2025).

Azerbaijan’s unlawful detention and sham trial of Armenian hostages, including high-ranking political representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh

The European Parliament condemns Azerbaijan’s unjust detention of Armenian hostages and demands their immediate release, as their confinement is based on sham trials and human rights violations. MEPs say Azerbaijani officials should grant prisoners fair trials and medical access, and facilitate the independent investigation of their ill-treatment.

Concerned by Azerbaijan’s closure of the offices of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Parliament demands their reopening and calls on EU embassies to monitor trials and visit detainees.

Parliament demands sanctions be placed on Azerbaijani officials responsible for human rights violations, in particular the prosecutors and judges Jamal Ramazanov, Anar Rzayev and Zeynal Agayev and calls on the International Criminal Court to investigate the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh.

MEPs want the EU to suspend the EU-Azerbaijan energy memorandum and make future bilateral agreements conditional on improvements in the respect for human rights, political prisoner releases, and a fair peace deal with Armenia.

The resolution was adopted by 523 votes in favour, 3 against and 84 abstentions. The full version will be available here (13.03.2025).