WRITTEN QUESTION E-3126/02 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. Singapore Opposition leaders.
Date: 2002-10-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Singapore, political prisoner, public safety, right to justice

C 51 E/8

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

the Hague Convention of
The Commission took the opportunity to encourage Tunisia to respect
25 October 1980 on the civil aspects of international child abduction, and also the Convention of
19 October 1996 on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition, enforcement and cooperation in respect of
parental responsibility and measures for the protection of children.

The Tunisian authorities stated that they shared European concerns about the well-being of children and
potential family traumas which could occur when mixed couples separated.

(2004/C 51 E/008)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2801/02

by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(7 October 2002)

Subject: Imprisonment of Leyla Zana and Turkey’s accession to the EU

According to Amnesty International, Mrs Leyla Zana is currently in a Turkish prison for having dared to
speak in Kurdish at her inauguration as a member of the Turkish parliament.

Has the Council been informed of this situation?

Should these reports prove accurate, does it believe that a State practising repression of this kind can
accede to the European Union?

Reply

(2 October 2003)

The Council

1.
is fully aware of the situation of the former member of the Turkish parliament
Mrs Leyla Zana as well as of three other former members of parliament who are currently serving prison
sentences following their conviction, by the Ankara State Security Court in 1994, on the grounds of
membership of the PKK, under Article 168 of the Penal Code.

In a judgment of 17 July 2001, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found that Leyla Zana’s
2.
and the other defendants’ right to a fair trial has been violated. In an interim resolution of 30 April 2002,
the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe urged Turkey in particular to ensure the reopening of
the proceedings, while recognising that Turkey had already taken measures in order to prevent new similar
violations, inter alia by abolishing the role of military judge in the state security courts.

3.
On 23 January last, the Turkish parliament adopted legislative amendments concerning retrial further
to judgments of the ECHR. Following the entry into force of these amendments, the case of Leyla Zana and
the others was indeed reopened (Ankara first state security court). Several court hearings have already
taken place since then (notably on 28 March, 25 April, 23 May, 20 June, 18 July and 15 August 2003).

4.
The EU is following the Zana case very closely. It expects the proceedings to be conducted in a way
such as to ensure fully the defendants’ right to a fair trial and to comply with the relevant priority of the
revised EU-Turkey Accession Partnership which requires Turkey to: ‘Remedy the situation of those persons
prosecuted or sentenced for non-violent expression of opinion. Implement legal provisions on the right to
re-trial following the relevant judgment of the European Court of Human Rights.’

(2004/C 51 E/009)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3126/02

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(30 October 2002)

Subject: Singapore Opposition leaders

Is the Commission aware of the sentences handed down in Sinagapore on Opposition leaders Chee Soon
Juan and Ghandi Ambalam for civil resistance?

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What will the Commission do to protest against this abuse of democracy and the increasingly intolerant
one-party rule in Singapore?

Will the Commission petition the Singaporean Government for their release?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(18 November 2002)

The Commission through its Delegation in Jakarta, together with the Diplomatic Missions of the Member
States, follows the human rights situation in Singapore, and is aware of the cases of Dr Chee Soon Juan
and Mr Ghandi Ambalam, respectively secretary-general and executive board member of the Singapore
Democratic Party opposition party.

The Commission can confirm that, according to sources, the two were the main organisers of a May Day
Rally that did not receive necessary permission under the Public Entertainment and Meeting Act, were
subsequently prosecuted and sentenced to either a prison term or payment of a fine. While Mr Ghandi
Ambalam choose to pay the fine, Dr Chee Soon Juan has been imprisoned since 8 October 2002 for a
period of five weeks.

With respect to Singapore, the Commission expects that due legal process has been observed by the
authorities. Nevertheless, the Commission will ask its responsible Delegation to consult with Member
States Diplomatic Missions to Singapore on this particular case, and to consider its implications.

The planned opening of a Commission Delegation to Singapore towards the end of 2002, will further
increase the scope for the Commission to monitor the democratic and human rights situation in the
country, and if deemed necessary, widen the scope for appropriate follow up actions with the authorities
in conjunction with Member States Diplomatic Missions.

(2004/C 51 E/010)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3167/02

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(6 November 2002)

Subject: Subsidy fraud involving agricultural exports

An article in the 14 October 2002 issue of the ‘Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’ raises the possibility that
there may have been large-scale abuse of the EU customs rebates for Croatia and the former Yugoslavia in
connection with illegal agricultural exports. The Greek authorities have identified consignments from
Croatia containing more than one third of sugar cane from the Caribbean.

This prompts the following questions:

1.

Since when has the Commission been aware of these irregularities?

2. Which agricultural products apart from sugar are also affected?

3. How large are the estimated sums lost to the EU as a result of these so-called ‘carrousel operations’?

4. According to information from a member of Commissioner Patten’s staff, we could also be witnessing
the effects of normal economic behaviour subject to absurd rules. Does the Commission plan to revise
the agreement with the Balkan states in the light of this information?