EU parliament condemns Polish abortion law

BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union' parliament on Thursday condemned Poland's recent near-total ban on abortions and called on the Polish government to make sure it no longer leads to the death of pregnant women.

The condemnation came following news that a woman died of septic shock in her 22nd week of pregnancy after doctors failed to perform an abortion and waited for the fetus to die.

In a resolution, the 27-nation bloc's parliament voted 373-124 with 55 abstentions to underscore their solidarity with Polish women and those who still continue to help them get abortions despite the restrictive law.

Reproductive rights activists say the woman is the first person to die as a result of a recent restriction of Poland's abortion law. Some who supported the new abortion restriction said it's uncertain whether the doctors' decision led to her death and accused women's rights activists of exploiting the situation.

'œThe EU cannot remain indifferent to this nightmare. Polish women cannot be reduced to expendable incubators,'ť said MEP Robert Biedron of the S&D socialist group, which strongly backs the resolution.

'œThey are European citizens whose rights must be protected, even more if the attack comes from their own government,'ť Biedron said.

A resolution of the European parliament is not binding on a member state.