Dhaka: The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians received cases of violation of human rights of 459 parliamentarians in 2016 from 42 countries across the world.

The committee reviewed 147 of the cases at the five-day IPU Assembly that concluded in Dhaka Wednesday. It also decided to visit a number of countries, including the Philippines, Turkey, Venezuela and Malaysia, to investigate human rights violation of parliamentarians there.  

The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians on the closing day of the 136th IPU Assembly decided that it will go on fact-finding missions to those countries and several others.

Committee President Fawzia Koofi, also an Afghan lawmaker, came up with the revelation at a press briefing at the IPU Assembly media centre at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Wednesday.

“The committee decided to go to Turkey, Venezuela, Mongolia, the Philippines and Malaysia as the human rights of many MPs are reportedly being violated there,” she said.

Fawzia Koofi, also Head of Women Rights, Human Rights and Civil Society Commission of Afghan Parliament, said the IPU committee has a mandate to protect human rights of parliamentarians in some countries regardless of their current status and situation whether they are in the government or the opposition.

At the briefing, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong said, “We want to protect parliamentary institutions, and make sure these function independently so that members, including individual members, can enjoy the freedom of expression which is crucial for the betterment of parliaments.”

Former President of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians Bangladeshi MP ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury was also present.

As Venezuela's political crisis worsens, the IPU is calling for a fact-finding mission to the country to look into heightened concerns about the treatment of parliamentarians and parliament itself, Fawzia Koofi said, adding that the IPU is convinced that a mission is crucial to assess the overall political situation, and discuss with the authorities IPU’s offer to use its good offices to mediate the crisis in the country, said a IPU press release.

In a resolution adopted in the 136th IPU Assembly in Dhaka, the organisation also said it found the rulings by the Supreme Court to null and void all decisions by the National Assembly as grossly excessive. It also called on all sides to act in good faith to solve the country’s crisis through dialogue.

In a series of other decisions adopted on the closing day of the Assembly, it expressed concern about the cases of MPs in Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines.