Plenary summary: Criminalisation LGBT people Egypt, Nigeria; Anti-discrimination law Ukraine
The Strasbourg week is over, so it is time for a plenary update. Apart from voting Jean-Claude Juncker in as the new Commission President, the European Parliament adopted resolutions mentioning the rights of LGBT persons in Nigeria and Egypt and a resolution calling for proper anti-disrimination legislation in Ukraine.
Nigeria
In its resolution on the situation in Nigeria, the European Parliament calls “for the abolition of the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Law” together with other laws criminalising the lives of LGBT people.
Under the ‘Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill’, people in a same-sex relationship risk up to 14 years in prison. Persons running a gay bar or organisation can face sentences up to 10 years in prison.
Egypt
In a resolution on freedom of expression and assembly in Egypt, the Parliament urges the Egyptian authorities to stop the criminalisation of LGBT people under the country’s ‘debauchery law,’ and release those arrested and imprisoned under this law (paragraph 13).
The resolution further calls for the adoption of national strategies to eliminate all forms of discrimination.
The recently intensified suppression of LGBT people is part of a wider crackdown on minorities, NGOs, journalists and government critics.
Ukraine
In its resolution on the situation in Ukraine, the European Parliament calls on the Ukrainian government to adopt anti-discrimination legislation, including on the basis of sexual orientation.
The issue recently sparked a debate, when the Ukrainian government proposed a reform of the labour code excluding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
However, recently, the Government publicly committed to include discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, in line with EU standards.
Read more:
- Read the resolution on Nigeria
- Read previous posts on Nigeria
- Read previous posts on the criminalisation of LGBT people
- Read the resolution on freedom of expression and assembly in Egypt
- Read the resolution on the situation in Ukraine
- Read previous posts on Ukraine
Image credit: © European Union
