BETA


2023/2648(RSP) Resolution on the crackdown on the right to education and education rights activists in Afghanistan, including the case of Matiullah Wesa

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
EC Treaty (after Amsterdam) EC 144, RoP 144-p2

Events

2023/04/20
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2023/04/20
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 529 votes to 2, with 11 abstentions, a resolution on the crackdown on the right to education and education rights activists in Afghanistan, including the case of Matiullah Wesa.

The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR, The Left groups and Members.

As a reminder, Afghan education activist Matiullah Wesa, the head of the PenPath organisation, was arrested alongside several of his family members by the Taliban regime on 27 March 2023 and remains detained without access to his family or the ability to challenge the legality of his detention. Women and girls have faced gender-based persecution and growing restrictions on their fundamental rights since the Taliban takeover, especially concerning their education, freedom of movement and right to work. They have been virtually erased from all areas of public life.

Afghanistan is now the only country in the world that refuses to allow women and girls to be educated beyond primary level.

In its resolution, Parliament deplored the gender-based persecution and dramatic rollback of women’s rights in Afghanistan. It denounced the ban on secondary and university education, and on women working at non-governmental organisations and the UN.

Against this background, Parliament called on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to:

- immediately and unconditionally release Matiullah Wesa and all those imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights from detention. It demanded that their rights be respected, including their access to family members and legal representation;

- fully respect the rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls and restore their full, equal and meaningful participation in public life;

- fulfil their own pledge and restore girls’ and women’s equal access to education.

The resolution called on the European External Action Service and the Member States to exert diplomatic pressure directly or indirectly on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to secure the release of Matiullah Wesa and other arbitrarily detained activists, including Rasul Abdi Parsi, Noorayel Kaliwal and Mortaza Behboudi.

Lastly, the EU and its Member States are called on to increase support to Afghan groups providing education to women and girls, including through alternative education options, and to fund specific assistance programmes both online and via community education.

Documents
2023/04/19
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2023/04/17
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/04/17
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/04/17
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/04/17
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/04/17
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2023/04/17
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents

Documents

Activities

Votes

Atteintes au droit à l'éducation et répression visant les militants pour le droit à l'éducation en Afghanistan, notamment le cas de Matiullah Wesa - The crackdown on the right to education and education rights activists in Afghanistan, including the case of Matiullah Wesa - Rückschlag bei dem Recht auf Bildung und hartes Vorgehen in Afghanistan gegen Aktivisten, die sich für das Recht auf Bildung einsetzen, einschließlich des Falls Matiullah Wesa - RC-B9-0205/2023 - Après le § 3 - Am 5 #

2023/04/20 Outcome: -: 383, +: 131, 0: 5
PL CZ SE ?? CY AT MT IT EL HR HU EE BE FI LT LV SI LU BG SK IE DK RO PT NL FR ES DE
Total
39
17
18
1
2
15
3
57
8
11
6
4
16
10
8
6
6
6
11
13
11
14
17
15
27
60
47
71
icon: ECR ECR
54

Greece ECR

1

Croatia ECR

1

Belgium ECR

2

Lithuania ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Romania ECR

1

Germany ECR

1
icon: ID ID
49

Czechia ID

2

Austria ID

2

Denmark ID

For (1)

1
icon: NI NI
23

Greece NI

1

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Hungary NI

1

Latvia NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Netherlands NI

1

France NI

2

Germany NI

For (1)

Against (1)

2
icon: The Left The Left
25

Czechia The Left

1

Sweden The Left

Against (1)

1

Cyprus The Left

2

Greece The Left

Against (1)

1

Belgium The Left

Against (1)

1

Finland The Left

Against (1)

1

Ireland The Left

4

Denmark The Left

Against (1)

1

Portugal The Left

3

Netherlands The Left

Against (1)

1

Germany The Left

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
56

Poland Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Italy Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Portugal Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3
icon: Renew Renew
79

Poland Renew

1

Sweden Renew

3

Austria Renew

Against (1)

1

Italy Renew

Against (1)

1

Greece Renew

Against (1)

1

Croatia Renew

Against (1)

1

Estonia Renew

Against (2)

2

Belgium Renew

3

Finland Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

Against (1)

1

Latvia Renew

Against (1)

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Luxembourg Renew

2

Bulgaria Renew

3

Ireland Renew

Against (1)

1
icon: PPE PPE
128

PPE

Against (1)

1

Malta PPE

Against (1)

1

Croatia PPE

For (1)

3

Estonia PPE

Against (1)

1

Finland PPE

Against (1)

1

Latvia PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

3

Luxembourg PPE

2

Denmark PPE

Against (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
105

Czechia S&D

Against (1)

1

Malta S&D

2

Estonia S&D

Against (1)

1

Belgium S&D

Against (1)

1

Finland S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg S&D

Against (1)

1

Bulgaria S&D

Against (2)

2

Romania S&D

3

RC-B9-0205/2023 - Après le § 6 - Am 6 #

2023/04/20 Outcome: -: 284, +: 162, 0: 53
PL IT CZ SE ?? HR SI CY EL MT FI HU LV EE LU LT BE BG SK AT RO DE IE DK PT NL FR ES
Total
37
52
17
18
1
10
6
3
9
3
8
5
6
3
5
8
15
11
13
15
18
69
10
14
14
26
57
46
icon: ECR ECR
53

Croatia ECR

1

Greece ECR

1

Lithuania ECR

1

Belgium ECR

2

Bulgaria ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Romania ECR

1

Germany ECR

1
icon: ID ID
48

Czechia ID

2

Austria ID

2

Denmark ID

For (1)

1
icon: PPE PPE
127

PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Croatia PPE

For (1)

3

Slovenia PPE

Abstain (1)

3

Malta PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Finland PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Latvia PPE

For (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Lithuania PPE

Against (1)

3
5

Slovakia PPE

Against (1)

4

Denmark PPE

Abstain (1)

1
icon: NI NI
25

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Hungary NI

1

Latvia NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

For (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Germany NI

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Netherlands NI

1

France NI

2
icon: The Left The Left
20

Czechia The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Sweden The Left

Against (1)

1

Cyprus The Left

2

Finland The Left

Against (1)

1

Belgium The Left

Against (1)

1

Germany The Left

2

Ireland The Left

3

Denmark The Left

Against (1)

1

Portugal The Left

2

Netherlands The Left

Against (1)

1

Spain The Left

Against (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
51

Poland Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Italy Verts/ALE

2

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Lithuania Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Portugal Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3
icon: Renew Renew
75

Poland Renew

1

Italy Renew

Against (1)

1

Czechia Renew

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

4

Sweden Renew

3

Croatia Renew

Against (1)

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Greece Renew

Against (1)

1

Finland Renew

Against (1)

1

Latvia Renew

Against (1)

1

Estonia Renew

Against (2)

2

Luxembourg Renew

Against (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

Against (1)

1

Belgium Renew

3

Bulgaria Renew

3

Austria Renew

Against (1)

1

Ireland Renew

Against (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
100

Czechia S&D

Against (1)

1

Slovenia S&D

Against (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

For (1)

1

Malta S&D

2

Finland S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg S&D

Against (1)

1

Lithuania S&D

2

Belgium S&D

Against (1)

1

Bulgaria S&D

Against (2)

2

Romania S&D

3

RC-B9-0205/2023 - Proposition de résolution (ensemble du texte) #

2023/04/20 Outcome: +: 529, 0: 11, -: 2
DE FR IT ES PL NL BE SE RO CZ PT AT DK SK IE BG EL FI HR LT HU LV SI LU EE MT CY ??
Total
73
65
57
49
40
28
18
18
18
18
16
15
14
13
12
11
11
10
11
8
8
6
6
6
4
3
3
1
icon: PPE PPE
134

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Finland PPE

For (1)

1

Latvia PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

3

Luxembourg PPE

2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Malta PPE

For (1)

1

PPE

1
icon: S&D S&D
108

Belgium S&D

For (1)

1

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Bulgaria S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1

Malta S&D

2

Cyprus S&D

For (1)

1
icon: Renew Renew
83

Italy Renew

For (1)

1

Poland Renew

1
3

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Ireland Renew

For (1)

1

Greece Renew

1

Finland Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

1

Hungary Renew

2

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Luxembourg Renew

2

Estonia Renew

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
58

Italy Verts/ALE

3

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
56

Germany ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

4

Romania ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Bulgaria ECR

1

Greece ECR

1

Croatia ECR

1

Lithuania ECR

1
icon: ID ID
50

Czechia ID

2

Austria ID

Abstain (2)

2

Denmark ID

Abstain (1)

1
icon: The Left The Left
28

Germany The Left

2

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Belgium The Left

For (1)

1

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Czechia The Left

1

Denmark The Left

1

Greece The Left

2

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Cyprus The Left

2
icon: NI NI
25

Germany NI

2

France NI

2

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Hungary NI

1

Latvia NI

1

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/6
date
2023-04-20T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0114_EN.html title: T9-0114/2023
type
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
body
EP
events/1
date
2023-04-20T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0114_EN.html title: T9-0114/2023
events/1
date
2023-04-20T00:00:00
type
Results of vote in Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=59794&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
events/2
date
2023-04-20T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0114_EN.html title: T9-0114/2023
events/2/summary
  • The European Parliament adopted by 529 votes to 2, with 11 abstentions, a resolution on the crackdown on the right to education and education rights activists in Afghanistan, including the case of Matiullah Wesa.
  • The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR, The Left groups and Members.
  • As a reminder, Afghan education activist Matiullah Wesa, the head of the PenPath organisation, was arrested alongside several of his family members by the Taliban regime on 27 March 2023 and remains detained without access to his family or the ability to challenge the legality of his detention. Women and girls have faced gender-based persecution and growing restrictions on their fundamental rights since the Taliban takeover, especially concerning their education, freedom of movement and right to work. They have been virtually erased from all areas of public life.
  • Afghanistan is now the only country in the world that refuses to allow women and girls to be educated beyond primary level.
  • In its resolution, Parliament deplored the gender-based persecution and dramatic rollback of women’s rights in Afghanistan. It denounced the ban on secondary and university education, and on women working at non-governmental organisations and the UN.
  • Against this background, Parliament called on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to:
  • - immediately and unconditionally release Matiullah Wesa and all those imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights from detention. It demanded that their rights be respected, including their access to family members and legal representation;
  • - fully respect the rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls and restore their full, equal and meaningful participation in public life;
  • - fulfil their own pledge and restore girls’ and women’s equal access to education.
  • The resolution called on the European External Action Service and the Member States to exert diplomatic pressure directly or indirectly on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to secure the release of Matiullah Wesa and other arbitrarily detained activists, including Rasul Abdi Parsi, Noorayel Kaliwal and Mortaza Behboudi.
  • Lastly, the EU and its Member States are called on to increase support to Afghan groups providing education to women and girls, including through alternative education options, and to fund specific assistance programmes both online and via community education.
docs/6
date
2023-04-20T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0114_EN.html title: T9-0114/2023
type
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
body
EP
events/0/docs
  • url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-9-2023-04-19-TOC_EN.html title: Debate in Parliament
events/1
date
2023-04-20T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0114_EN.html title: T9-0114/2023
forecasts
  • date: 2023-04-20T00:00:00 title: Vote in plenary scheduled
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting plenary debate/vote
New
Procedure completed
procedure/title
Old
The crackdown on the right to education and education rights activists in Afghanistan, including the case of Matiullah Wesa
New
Resolution on the crackdown on the right to education and education rights activists in Afghanistan, including the case of Matiullah Wesa
events
  • date: 2023-04-19T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP
forecasts/0
date
2023-04-19T00:00:00
title
Debate in plenary scheduled
docs
  • date: 2023-04-17T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0205_EN.html title: B9-0205/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-04-17T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0207_EN.html title: B9-0207/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-04-17T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0208_EN.html title: B9-0208/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-04-17T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0209_EN.html title: B9-0209/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-04-17T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0210_EN.html title: B9-0210/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2023-04-17T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023-0211_EN.html title: B9-0211/2023 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
procedure/legal_basis/1
Rules of Procedure EP 144-p2
forecasts/0
date
2023-04-19T00:00:00
title
Debate in plenary scheduled
forecasts/0
date
2023-04-17T00:00:00
title
Indicative plenary sitting date
forecasts/1
date
2023-04-20T00:00:00
title
Vote in plenary scheduled