Urgency resolutions on Syria and Georgia

Manila 2011

Urgent resolution on Syria

Noting that:

For the last months, Syria has seen popular protests on an unprecedented scale, and blood has dripped on the streets of Deraa, Latakia, al- Sanamein, Douma, Homs, Harasta, Tartous,Qamishli and Banyas. The population has broken the barrier of fear and pressed its demands for dignity, freedom, social justice, economic opportunity, and political reform.
Western nations failed to secure the simplest of Security Council measures: a press statement calling on Syria’s leaders to stop the violence against their own people.
The EU has imposed sanctions against the Syrian regime.

Taking in consideration:

The Congress of the Liberal International urgently calls on:

Syrian regime to stop immediately and unconditionally the violence against its own population
The EU to sharpen its sanctions, to even include the private enterprises close to the Syrian regime
The UN to condemn the violations of human rights in Syria

Urgency Resolution on Georgia

The Liberal International Congress convening in Manila

Having regard to the resolution of the European Parliament from November 29, 2007 , Georgia’s international commitments under the Human Rights Declaration and ICCPR, as well as ECHR, ensuring the fundamental right to assemble;
Having regard to reports and statements of the office of UN HCHR , HRW , Amnesty International, World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) , Georgia’s Public Defender and Human Rights groups ;

LI is deeply concerned with the:

excessive use of force against protestors;
reported cases of journalists being beaten up and detained;
cases of disappearances for two days after dispersal of the demonstration that have been reported by human rights groups and the Public Defender. Many of them were later found by HR groups under incommunicado detention with severe injuries, no access to lawyers, doctors, food or drinking water. Some still remain unfound;
deprivation of detainees’ basic right of notification of one’s detention to a third party of choice, right to counsel, and right to demand examination by a doctor.

The Liberal International Congress strongly condemns excessive use force against the protestors and demands from the Georgian government:

to respect the right to assemble, personal integrity and abstain from torture and degrading treatment of detainees;
to minimize the use of force in accordance with applicable international law;
an immediate, thorough, and independent investigation into the reported cases of police brutality, excessive use of force, disputed causes of death of the protestors, torture and degrading treatment of the arrested.