Parliamentary Questions

WRITTEN QUESTION

Submission: Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(6 November 2003)

P-3402/03EL
Response of Mr. Nielson

on behalf of the Commission

(10 December 2003)

The imposition of corporal punishment has repeatedly been the subject of démarches to the government of Sudan, within the framework of the European Union-Sudan political dialogue, one of the main components of which is human rights. The response of the Khartoum government has usually been very vague, stating that Islamic law (Sharia) is and will remain the legal basis in Sudan. This has also been confirmed, at least for the northern and central parts of the country, in the Machakos protocol of July 2002, which is a cornerstone of the peace process, generally supported by the European Union.

The Commission will ask its Delegation in Khartoum to investigate the circumstances and gather more information regarding the case mentioned by Amnesty International and to raise this issue with the European Union Troika in order to have it discussed during the upcoming high-level mission to Khartoum in December 2003.