Finian McGrath
Question:175 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding persons (details supplied); and if he will raise this miscarriage of justice at UN and EU level. [32083/04]
View answerTuesday, 7 December 2004
Questions (155, 156, 157)
Written answers
The case raised by the Deputy relates to five Cuban citizens who were convicted in the US in 2001 on charges ranging from espionage to conspiracy to murder, and whose appeal was heard in March of this year. The court's decision is awaited. As the Deputy has been informed in previous answers to questions on this issue, the Irish Government has no standing in this matter which is a bilateral consular question between the Cuban and US authorities.
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:176 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the State repression of unregistered house churches in China and to China’s intolerance of religious freedom in general; if he has raised the matter with the Chinese authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32437/04]
View answerAs has been consistently stated, the Government takes concerns about human rights in China, including religious freedom, very seriously. These matters are regularly, and on an ongoing basis, raised with the Chinese Government. Most recently, the Tánaiste, Deputy Harney and I held official talks with the Chinese Vice-Premier, Mr Huang Ju, in Dublin Castle, on 16 November 2004, during which we again raised our concerns about human rights with the Vice-Premier. The Chinese Vice-Premier, in response, informed us of the measures his Government is taking in the field of human rights, including the addition of an express provision on human rights to China's constitution earlier this year.
The Taoiseach also raised the issue of human rights with the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, during his visit to Ireland in May 2004. During his discussions, he outlined Ireland's strong commitment to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Both sides agreed on the importance of co-operation and dialogue in working together to bring about respect for international obligations. In his capacity as President of the European Council, my predecessor also raised human rights concerns during the EU Foreign Ministers troika meeting with China on 18 April 2004.
The EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, established in 1996, is the agreed formal framework through which the EU raises its concerns about individual human rights cases and more general issues, such as the protection of freedom of religion and expression. The most recent round of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue took place in Beijing on 24 September 2004. During the Irish Presidency, and in conjunction with our EU partners, we organised the first EU-China seminar on the ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ICCPR, which took place in Beijing on 30 June and 1 July 2004. The purpose of the seminar was to provide technical assistance to China in preparation for their ratification of the ICCPR. Article 18 of the ICCPR guarantees that "everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching". A subsequent EU-China seminar on the ratification of the ICCPR took place in The Hague on 8 and 9 November 2004.
Ireland, together with our EU partners, will continue to encourage the Chinese authorities to respect fully freedom of religion and expression and human rights. There will be further discussion of these matters during the EU-China summit, scheduled to take place in The Hague on 8 December 2004.
Barry Andrews
Question:177 Mr. Andrews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make contact with the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba about the case of a person (details supplied). [32470/04]
View answerMr. Adolfo Fernandez Sainz, a journalist, is one of 75 members of the peaceful opposition in Cuba, including other journalists, writers and doctors who were arrested in March and April 2003 and sentenced to prison terms of up to 28 years after a summary legal process that did not meet internationally accepted standards. As I stated in my reply of 23 November 2004 to Question No. 260, a copy of which will be forwarded to the Deputy, the Government's concern regarding the detention and sentencing of these dissidents, including Mr. Sainz, was conveyed at the time to the Cuban chargé d'affaires at a meeting in the Department of Foreign Affairs and this concern has been repeated on a number of occasions since in contacts with the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba.
Ireland and its partners in the European Union responded to the grave violation of international human rights standards involved in the imprisonment of these members of the peaceful opposition by a range of measures, including limiting bilateral high level governmental visits to Cuba, and these measures remain in force. On 14 June 2004, during the Irish Presidency of the European Union, the General Affairs and External Relations Council, GAERC, again called on the Cuban Government to release immediately all those, like Mr. Sainz, who have been detained for political reasons. The Cuban authorities have previously released a number of these prisoners on health grounds and in recent days it is reported that a further seven prisoners have been released and others moved to military hospital facilities. However, it would appear that Mr. Sainz remains in prison.
The most recent releases are encouraging and I would urge the Cuban authorities to move quickly to release all the other members of the peaceful opposition who are currently imprisoned. My Department has been in contact again with the Cuban chargé d'affaires to reiterate our concern about the remaining dissident prisoners and to enquire specifically about the position of Mr. Sainz. As I previously stated, the release of all such prisoners would make a significant contribution to the resumption of a full dialogue between the European Union and Cuba.