The Inter-Parliamentary Union's Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians is meeting from today at IPU Headquarters in Geneva. During its session, the Committee will examine the cases of 282 legislators, among them public cases in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Lebanon, Mongolia, Myanmar, Palestine/Israel, the Philippines, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Zimbabwe.
Among other cases, the Committee will pursue its work in support of Dr. Aziz Dweik, Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), currently detained by the Israeli authorities along with 48 other members of the PLC, as well as parliamentarians-elect in Myanmar who are still in prison or are otherwise being harassed, and of several members of parliament in Zimbabwe who have suffered violence and harassment and seen their basic rights violated.
The session will be attended by the current Committee President, Senator Sharon Carstairs (Canada), its Vice-President, Senator Rosario Green (Mexico), its titular members: Senator Zahia Benarous (Algeria), Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel (Philippines), Senator Philippe Mahoux (Belgium), and substitute members Senator Alima Boumediene-Thiery (France) and Mr. Kazem Jalali (Iran).
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