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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 Mar 2003

Vol. 562 No. 5

Written Answers - Human Rights Abuses.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

172 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's views on the recent Amnesty International report on continuing police torture and ill treatment in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. [6566/03]

On 1 January Amnesty International published a report on continuing allegations of police torture and ill treatment in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The report noted that, despite the adoption of a new criminal procedure in March 2002, which forbids and makes punishable the use of any kind of violence on a detainee, allegations of ill treatment continue to be made. It expressed dissatisfaction at the number of disciplinary proceedings and at the level of sentences imposed on the small number of police officers found guilty of severely ill treating detainees. The Government is concerned at the persistence of allegations of this type and I will arrange to have our concern conveyed to the authorities in Belgrade.

On 4 February the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was succeeded by the new federal state of Serbia and Montenegro. Agreement on the formation of the new state was brokered by the EU which is encouraging early agreement on the establishment of its new institutions. The improvement of the human rights situation in Serbia and Montenegro is an important element of the reform process which is required for further progress in the development of the country's relations with the EU. It is also of direct importance in the consideration of the current application by Serbia and Montenegro for membership of the Council of Europe.
Article 9 of the Constitutional Charter of the new federal state commits Serbia and Montenegro to ensuring the protection of human rights and minority rights, and the federal government has undertaken to adopt a charter on human rights and minorities as soon as possible.
I hope these developments, and the engagement of the EU in all aspects of the reform process will lead to an early improvement in policing standards. Ireland is playing its part directly. Ireland is the major donor for a programme being implemented by the Council of Europe to provide human rights training for all judges and prosecutors in Serbia and Montenegro, as well as for a number of lawyers and NGO experts. The commitment of funds from Ireland Aid for the three years of the programme, 2002-04 inclusive, will amount to some €500,000. The focus is on developing knowledge of international human rights law, in particular the European Convention on Human Rights and the application of its principles in Serbia and Montenegro.
Question No. 173 answered with Question No. 147.
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