WRITTEN QUESTION E-0277/02 by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Political repression in Azerbaijan.
Date: 2002-02-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Azerbaijan, EU relations, arrest, cooperation agreement, democratisation, freedom of expression, human rights, political prisoner, repression

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/27

The Commission followed closely the recent developments and is preoccupied with the reports of
widespread arrests of students in connection with their petitions for Kurdish language courses.

A joint initiative was recently taken by the Commission and the current Union Presidency, in Ankara,
towards the Turkish authorities whereby concerns were expressed on a possible violation by the Turkish
authorities of the Constitutional right of petition.

The Commission will further raise this matter with the Turkish authorities.

(1) COM(2001) 700 final.

(2002/C 277 E/028)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0277/02

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 February 2002)

Subject: Political repression in Azerbaijan

Does the Commission believe that political repression in Azerbaijan is becoming more widespread and
what steps is it taking to improve the situation?

Does the Commission have any specific information on the imprisonment of the leader of the Azerbaijan
Democratic Party Rasul Gouliev and members of his family and on the arrest of Yagub Abbasov, the
founder of the newspaper ‘Ulus’, and on whether political prisoners in general in Azerbaijan are brutalised
while in custody?

Finally, what level of assistance is provided by the European Union to Azerbaijan, and what efforts have
been made by the EU to persuade the Azerbaijan government that respect for freedom of expression and
the rule of law are much more likely to generate long-term political stability and prosperity than crude
political repression?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(25 February 2002)

The Commission is following the case of Rasul Gouliev (Quliev) and has information that suggests he is
not in prison but is at liberty in the United States. The Azerbaijani Government maintains that he is guilty
of embezzlement when he was in charge of state enterprises.

The Commission has no independent information on the treatment of Rasul Gouliev’s family members nor
does it have any specific information on the treatment of prisoners while in custody.

The International Committee for the Red Cross reached agreement with the government of Azerbaijan on
prison visiting in 2001 and their reports are available on their website (1). In parallel Human Rights Watch
and Amnesty International report on the treatment of prisoners in Azerbaijan.

Between 1992 and 2002 the Community has provided Azerbaijan with € 370 million of grant assistance:
TACIS Technical Assistance € 86,5 million, Food Aid € 65 million, Humanitarian Assistance (ECHO) € 92
million, Post conflict reconstruction € 19 million, Food Security assistance € 77 million, Exceptional
Financial Assistance € 30 million.

Through the provisions of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement the Union carries out a full
political and economic dialogue on a regular basis with Azerbaijan. The issues associated with press
freedom and the sentencing of prisoners was discussed in detail at the Cooperation Council in October
2001. The Union has consistently made the point that respect for the rule of law and of freedom of
expression are critical elements in the building of long term political stability in Azerbaijan and the whole
Southern Caucasus region.

C 277 E/28

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

Under the Union-Azerbaijan PCA, the Parliament also has a Parliamentary Cooperation Committee where
there will be opportunities to discuss the full range of political and economic matters.

Revisions to the law on the Media show the Government of Azerbaijan is taking steps to improve the
legislative climate.

It should be noted that human rights and democracy issues also addressed within the framework of the
Council of Europe which Azerbaijan joined in 2001.

(1) http://www.icrc.org/eng.

(2002/C 277 E/029)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0278/02

by Luckas Vander Taelen (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Attack on journalists’ freedom of speech in Malta

(8 February 2002)

Recent events in Malta are quite a preoccupying sign for journalists’ freedom of speech in this country. A
TV sports journalist was suspended by the Malta ‘Public Broadcasting Services’ and stopped from appearing
on state TV for one week because he had produced an investigative programme on the possibility of
corruption in Maltese football.

Even worse is the attitude of the Malta Labour Party (MLP) leadership that, after a vicious campaign against
the company ‘Where’s Everybody’ which produces three of the most popular programmes on national TV,
including one on how the EU institutions function, has now decided to boycott all ‘Where’s Everybody’s’
TV programmes and leading personalities.

Considering that
Government, such a boycott is a veritable attack on the basic norms of democracy and free speech.

the Maltese electorate, and is the alternative Malta

the MLP represents 46 % of

The MLP boycott, apart from showing a crass disrespect for people’s intelligence, effectively means that
independent journalists are now under threat by the Malta Labour Party for not towing its party line.

It is very unfortunate that the leadership of the MLP, the potential alternative government of Malta, seems
to want Malta to go back to the eighties, when political hatred was the order of the day.

With this background in mind, is the Commission bringing up this issue in its negotiations with the
Maltese government? What arguments does the Commission intend bringing up with the Maltese
authorities during negotiations in order to ensure the freedom of speech and the investigative liberty of
Maltese journalists, without any threats from the establishment or prospective Prime Ministers?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2002)

The Commission monitors the freedom of expression in Malta, like in all other candidate countries, as one
of the key political criteria for membership. In the 2001 Regular Report on Malta’s progress towards
accession (1), it stated that ‘the freedom of expression is enshrined in the Maltese constitution and continues
to be well respected in practice’.

Regarding the TV and radio journalists’ freedom of speech, Malta has an independent Broadcasting
Authority, whose members are appointed by the President of the Republic, following advice from the
Prime Minister and consultations with the leader of the opposition. The Broadcasting Act 1991, amended
in 2000, provides for the Broadcasting Authority’s powers, duties and financial resources.