Vol. 495 No. 4
98 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the human rights record of the Algerian Government; the action, if any, he has taken at UN level in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20139/98]
As I indicated to the House on 30 September, I remain extremely concerned at the situation in Algeria, particularly the continuation of appalling massacres of innocent civilians including women and children. There have been very disturbing reports of torture and death of detainees by Algerian authorities which would be in clear violation of fundamental human rights. I have expressed my particular concern to the Algerian authorities on a number of occasions about these reports.
My concerns in this regard have been reinforced by the conclusions of the recently published report of the UN Committee on Human Rights. These referred to "the persistent allegation of collusion of members of the security forces in terrorist attacks".
While there is no clear evidence linking the Algerian Government to the massacres, the lack of transparency will only encourage suspicions. For this reason Ireland has pressed the Algerian Government to accede to a request for a visit by UN human rights inspectors. Last March at the session of the UN Commission for Human Rights, Ireland strongly urged the commission to address this issue and succeeded in securing a strong EU statement at the conclusion of the session. Regrettably, the commission was not persuaded of the need for specific action.
I will seek to ensure that the situation in Algeria is raised by the European Union in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly during its current session. In the light of the outcome of the debate, I will consider further the possibility of co-sponsoring a resolution on the issue.
I will also seek to ensure that, as Algeria moves towards presidential elections in the near future, every effort is made to encourage the forces for democratic reform in that country.
