BRUSSELS
The European Union-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee expressed "deep concern" on Thursday over the death sentences handed down in Egypt against 528 people.
"The EU and Turkey oppose capital punishment under any circumstances," said Co-Chairs of the Committee, Helene Flautre and Afif Demirkiran in a statement.
"The death penalty is cruel and inhuman, fails to act as a deterrent and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity."
The Committee asked the Egyptian interim authorities not to execute the penalties.
It also called upon Cairo to ensure rights to a fair and timely trial based on “clear charges and proper and independent investigations.”
On March 24, 528 individuals were sentenced to death in Egypt on charges relating to the events that led to the ousting of the country’s elected president, Hosni Mubarak, in 2013.
The accused, including 397 being tried in absentia, faced charges of committing violence in Minya, south of Cairo, in August 2013. It was following the violent dispersal by security forces of pro-democracy sit-ins in the capital and Giza, which left hundreds of protesters dead.
At least 600 more individuals are currently on trial for similar charges.
The international community, including officials from the United Nations, the EU, the U.S. and human rights watchdogs such as Amnesty International, have condemned the death sentences.
Council of Europe body 'concerned' over Egypt
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe expressed "deep concern" on Thursday over death sentences handed down in Egypt against 528 people.
Meeting this week in Strasbourg, two PACE committees on political affairs and human rights denounced as "unacceptable" the mass death penalties for supporters of the ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi "on charges related to the events in July and August 2013, including the killing of a policeman".
"The two committees underline that the death penalty as a form of punishment is an unacceptable violation of human rights, irrespective of the crime committed," read the statement released by the committees, through which "PACE follows the democratic transition in Egypt and supports universal abolition of the death penalty."
The parliamentary assembly urged the Egyptian authorities to guarantee a fair trial for the defendants, "a pre-condition for its smooth democratic transition, in particular on the eve of presidential elections".
They also called upon Cairo to implement an immediate moratorium on executions as a step towards the abolition of capital punishment.
All the defendants, including 397 people being tried in absentia, faced charges of committing violence in Minya, south of Cairo, in August 2013 following the violent dispersal by security forces of pro-democracy sit-ins in the capital and Giza, which left hundreds of protesters dead.
Turkish Parliament condemns death penalties in Egypt
Turkish Parliament Human Rights Commission condemned the death penalty issued against 528 people in Egypt with a joint declaration of political parties on Thursday.
"We primarily demand the ending of the implementation of death penalties issued against 528 people in Egypt," said the joint declaration issued by the commission.
Representatives of The Justice and Development (AK) Party, The Republican People's Party (CHP), The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and The Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) all underlined the destruction in Egyptian society created by the death penalties and said they were shameful for humanity.
The commission also demanded that all death sentences and human rights violations in Egypt should cease immediately and urged that "the search for justice should be maintained for the contribution to human rights, regional and global peace and democracy," and added that the death penalties "were totally politically motivated and inconsistent with universal laws".
The declaration said, "A military coup was staged against the government which was for the first time democratically elected by the public in Arab Republic of Egypt on July 3rd, 2013, and later severe violations of human rights including the 'the right to life' were practised. Our commission demanded that a committee be sent to the country for further investigation of violations, which was declined by Egypt."
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