Activities of Isabel SANTOS related to 2023/2052(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the EEAS on the situation in Syria (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the situation in Syria
Amendments (35)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 (new)
Citation -1 (new)
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 a (new)
Citation -1 a (new)
– having regard to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) ratified by Syria on 21 April 1969,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 b (new)
Citation -1 b (new)
– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ratified by Syria on 21 April 1969,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 c (new)
Citation -1 c (new)
– having regard to the accession of Syria as a Member State to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), as of 14 October 2013,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 d (new)
Citation -1 d (new)
– having regard to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) ratified by Syria on 14 December 2013,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 e (new)
Citation -1 e (new)
– having regard to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2254 as adopted on 18 December 2015,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 f (new)
Citation -1 f (new)
– having regard to the UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2664 as adopted on 9 December 2022,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 g (new)
Citation -1 g (new)
– having regard to the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2672 as adopted on 9 January 2023,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 h (new)
Citation -1 h (new)
– having regard to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 77/301 of 29 June 2023, establishing an Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 i (new)
Citation -1 i (new)
– having regard to the report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 14 August 2023 to the 54th regular session of the Human Rights Council,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 l (new)
Citation -1 l (new)
– having regard to the operation update for October 2023 by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 j (new)
Citation -1 j (new)
– having regard to the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of 16 November 2023 on the request for the indication of provisional measures for the application of the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Canada and the Netherlands v. Syrian Arab Republic),
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 k (new)
Citation -1 k (new)
– having regard to the order of the Paris Judicial Court (TJP) of 14 November 2023 issuing an international arrest warrant against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Maher Al-Assad, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam Al-Hassan,
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 m (new)
Citation -1 m (new)
– having regard to European Council Decision 2023/1035 of 25 May 2023, that extends the EU sanctions until 1 June 2024,
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas since 2011 half a million Syrians have died and 142 million have been displaced - around 7 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and more than 5 million displaced in neighbouring countries - due to violent attacks by armed and terrorist groups, but mainly as a result of the fierce repression by the Syrian regime, with the help of its allies, of its own people; whereas this repression has included the repeated use of chemical weapons, incendiary bombs, barrel bombs, missiles and conventional aerial bombardments on civilians; whereas at least 150 000 Syrians are missing in the regime’s concentration-camp system and families have still not been informed of the fate of their loved ones;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas this repression has included the repeated use of chemical weapons, incendiary bombs, barrel bombs, missiles and conventional aerial bombardments on civilians; whereas at least 150 000 Syrians are missing in the regime’s concentration-camp system and families have still not been informed of the fate of their loved ones;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas, according to UN reports, 90% of the Syrian population lives in poverty and lacks basic goods;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
Jb. whereas the ICJ´s order directed Syria to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of torture and other abuses, after having considered various reports by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syrian Arab Republic, which concluded that there were “reasonable grounds to believe that the [Syrian] Government continued to commit acts of torture and ill treatment.”;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas authoritarian foreign actors, including Russia, the Wagner militia, Hezbollah and Iran, have played a destructive role for the country since 2011, and whereas the Syrian regime does not control the whole of national territory and can remain in power only with the support of these foreign actors; whereas both countries remain major suppliers of military equipment to the regime;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J c (new)
Recital J c (new)
Jc. whereas the Israel-Hamas conflict added a cycle of violence in the region; whereas the spillover effect is being felt in Syria; whereas Syria should abstain from any military involvement in the war in Gaza; whereas the allegedly Israeli strikes in Aleppo and Damascus have led to a temporary halt of the UN´s Humanitarian Air Service;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Türkiye is engaging in large-scale armed conduct on Syrian territory on a regular basis; whereas, in October 2023, the Turkish Parliament voted to extend the mandate that allows for military operations in Syria for another two years;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas several countries in the region have started to normalise their relations with the Syrian regime, which has led to Syria’s reintegration into the Arab League as decided by the League´s foreign ministers on 7 May 2023, in Cairo, despite Syria´s record of serious international crimes and without any indication that its abusive practices have ceased;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas meetings between the Arab League and Syrian regime representatives have been suspended in the meantime;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the EU and its Member States have been the largest donors to the people affected by the conflict since 2011, contributing EUR 30 billion; whereas the European aid pledged at the Brussels Conference in June 2023 amounts to EUR 3.8 in humanitarian, development, stabillion out of a total of EUR 5.6 billion; whereas the EU and the Member States provided emergency assistance during the earthquake in Syria and on 23 February 2023 the EU decided on a temporary exemption from sanctions on humanitarian grounds to facilitate the delivery of aid to the victimssation and resilience assistance;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas the EU together with its Member States pledged at the Brussels Conference in June 2023 amounts to EUR 3.8 billion out of a total of EUR 5.6 billion; whereas the EU and the Member States provided emergency assistance in the aftermath of the earthquake in Syria and on 23 February 2023 the EU decided on a temporary exemption from sanctions on humanitarian grounds to facilitate the delivery of aid to the victims;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas, since mid-August, anti- regime protests have occurred in the Druze-majority Syrian governorate of Souweïda; whereas the demonstrations have been calling for political, civil and human rights for all Syrians;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) reaffirm the EU’s support for Syria’s continued democratic aspirations, despite the regime’s total repression since the peaceful protests in 2011, which has been bolstered by decisive military and financial assistance from Iran and Russia to enable Assad and his cronies to retain power; denounce the regime´s granting of contracts that allow Russia and Iran to access the country´s resources at the expense of the Syrian people;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) stress that despite the sovereign decision of some Arab states to readmit Syria to the Arab League, the Syrian regime has not given any indication that it wants to combat narcotrafficking, a problem originating in Syria and which affects the whole region; condemn the stranglehold of the Assad family and its allies, including Hezbollah, on the drug Captagon, which is estimated to be worth USD 57 billion; note that the brother of Bashar Al-Assad commands the army unit responsible for facilitating the drug’s production;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) condemn the stranglehold of the Assad family and its allies, including Hezbollah, on the drug Captagon, which is estimated to be worth USD 57 billion; note that the brother of Bashar Al-Assad, Maher Al-Assad, commands the army unit responsible for facilitating the drug’s production;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
(m) stress that the fight against impunity in Syria is a moral and political imperative for Europe; welcome the judicial progress made by the Franco- German Joint Investigation Team regarding the 11 000 bodies of torture victims identified in the César report, the suspension of Syria from the International Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the progress made in Germany, France and Sweden in bringing Syrian criminals to justice; welcome the ICJ’s November order directing Syria to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of torture and other abuses;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) invite the international community, at the 2024 Brussels Conference, to increase urgently its humanitarian assistance to the 15.3 million Syrians who depend on it on a daily basis; insist on access to clean water, sanitation, education and long- term budget support tailored to women’s needs; point out that the EU is the biggest contributor in this regard; welcome the continued efforts of Lebanon, Jordan, Türkiye and Iraq to host 6 million refugees while facing difficult economic conditions;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)
(ra) welcome the continued efforts of Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt to host 6 million refugees while facing difficult economic conditions themselves; reiterate the need to guarantee the status of refugees, refraining from any discrimination towards minorities;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) strongly condemn Russia’s countless vetos against delivering aid to the people in the north; denounce once again Russia’s attempts to tarnish the image of white helmets, namely on the renewal of UNSC Resolution 2672 (2023) by not allowing to extend the access through Bab al-Hawa; denounce once again Russia’s attempts to tarnish the image of the White Helmets; note the government´s decision to grant further access to UN humanitarian agencies and partners through the corridor of Bab al-Hawa until 13 January 2024, and Bab al-Salam and AlRai until 13 February 2024; remind all parties responsible of the absolute need to keep these accesses open;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
(u) recall that Syria cannot be regarded, in whole or in part, as a safe country for the return of its nationals living as refugees in Europe and around the world, people who have fled the crimes of the regime and risk torture and enforced disappearance if they return to Syria; stress that each and every return must be done voluntarily and met with dignified conditions;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
(ua) recall the vulnerability of Palestine refugees in Syria and of those displaced to neighbouring countries; call in this regard for sustained and additional support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), enabling the Agency to meet the basic needs of an increasingly vulnerable population;