Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Nov 1993

Vol. 435 No. 6

Ceisteanna — Questions Written Answers. - Ill-Treatment of Persons Abroad.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

7 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will write to the French Government to express his concern at the ill-treatment of a person (details supplied) in a police station in May 1993, and to seek that those who ill-treated him be brought to justice.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

9 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will write to the Government of Saudi Arabia, calling for the release of a person (details supplied) who is being detained for the peaceful exercise of his beliefs.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

15 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will write to the Sudanese Government to ask them to account for a person (details supplied) who disappeared following his arrest in December 1991.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 9 and 15 together.

The protection of human rights is a legitimate concern of the international community.

The Government closely monitors human rights questions and, in cases where this appears justified, draws its concerns and the concerns of Deputies to the attention of other Governments.

However, I believe that our concern to see human rights universally upheld is best advanced by an approach which considers carefully — where appropriate in conjunction with our EC partners who share our concerns — when to make direct representation to a foreign government about an individual case.

On the basis of the information at present available to me I do not consider that it would be appropriate for me to write to each of the Governments about the individual cases mentioned in the questions. However, I am willing to keep individual cases under review and to consider any additional information the Deputy may wish to send me.