WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4108/97 by Gianfranco DELL'ALBA to the Commission. Trial for the killing of the Italian Giacomo Turra in Colombia on 3 September 1995
Date: 1998-01-16
Institutions: DELL'ALBA, European Parliament
Subjects: Colombia, EU aid, Italy, democracy, diplomatic representation, homicide, human rights, humanitarian aid, legal hearing, military court

22. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 196/79

The operational programmes are 50%-financed by the Community and if a programme is presented by several
Community producer organisations operating in separate Member States for cross-border activities, the rate of
funding is increased to 60% of actual expenditure.

(1)  OJ L 297, 21.11.1996.

(98/C 196/109)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4108/97

by Gianfranco Dell(cid:146)Alba (ARE) to the Commission

(16 January 1998)

Subject: Trial for the killing of the Italian Giacomo Turra in Colombia on 3 September 1995

15 December 1997 will see the start of the court-martial at the Military Tribunal in Cartagena, Colombia, which
will finally try 5 policemen charged with the manslaughter of the European citizen Giacomo Turra who died
there at the age of 24.

After various attempts by the Colombian authorities to have it shelved, the trial is to take place thanks to the
intervention not only of the Italian Government but also of numerous international human rights organizations.

The  Commission  recently  granted  Colombia  $5  million  in  humanitarian  aid  in  return  for  an  undertaking  to
improve compliance with human rights, and the trial is undoubtedly important proof of the Colombian state(cid:146)s
determination to combat the impunity with which it is characterized.

Does the Commission not think it would be an idea to take advantage of the opportunity to send observers to the
trial to ascertain that the legal proceedings respect human rights?

Answer given by Mr Mar(cid:14)·n on behalf of the Commission

(4 February 1998)

The  Commission  is  watching  with  some  concern  the  human  rights  situation  in  Colombia,  which  remains
unsatisfactory on the whole. It will be keeping a close eye on the trial of Mr Turra(cid:146)s alleged killers through its
delegation in Bogota·, in coordination with the Member States(cid:146) diplomatic representations there.

The Commission assigns top priority to initiatives aimed at strengthening the machinery for protecting human
rights  in  Colombia  and  to  monitoring  infringements  of  those  rights.  That  aim  is  achieved  in  three  ways:  by
beefing up the presence of the international community (additional funding of the international observer team
made available to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and responsible for monitoring the
human rights situation throughout the country); by financing initiatives for local NGOs working in the field of
democracy and human rights; and through structural aid for the administration of justice.

As for the humanitarian aid programme referred to by the Honourable Member, it should be stressed that under
the terms of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid (1), such aid,
given its objective, is not guided by or subject to political considerations.

The other forms of aid Colombia receives from the Commission are largely targeted at the most disadvantaged
sections of the population. The Commission enlists the help of a large number of local and international NGOs in
implementing its aid.

It should be stressed that Colombia is signatory to a regional cooperation agreement with the Community which
subjects Community aid to observance of human rights.

(1)  OJ L 163, 2.7.1996.