MEP Francisco Assis will ask the European Parliament this week for an urgent debate on the situation in Mozambique, denouncing the "trampling of human rights" in the country.

According to the MEP, the European Parliament must speak out in the face of the "clear violation of human rights" in the country and the "disproportionate police repression" that has been carried out against "defenseless" demonstrators.

"This request will be made next week (this week) and this urgent debate will take place, if it is carried out, at the Strasbourg plenary, which will take place the following week. I believe that, at the moment, we are facing a very serious situation in Mozambique, with a clear violation of human rights and very strong police repression against a defenseless population that has been demonstrating and, on the other hand, I have also appealed to the European Commission to take all possible steps to guarantee the physical integrity of presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane," said the MEP, in a DW publication.

In the same publication, Francisco Assis lamented the deaths of hundreds of Mozambicans during the demonstrations, saying that this was intolerable under the rule of law.

"This is clearly an intolerable situation, because it is in itself a total disregard for the simplest human rights, such as the right to life, the right to demonstrate, the right to assemble, the right to express oneself... From this point of view, I believe that the European Parliament, which deals with situations of disregard for human rights in all areas of the world, also has a duty to pronounce itself on this issue of Mozambique," said Assis.

(Photo DR)