WRITTEN QUESTION E-3380/03 by Christos Zacharakis (PPE-DE)and Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Representations to the Egyptian authorities to implement the principles of democracy and the protection of human rights.
Date: 2003-11-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU national, EU relations, Egypt, Greece, association agreement (EU), human rights, prison system, right to justice

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/647

and the whole facility is to be fully repaid by mid/end of 2004. There are no firm new LUKoil projects in
the Bank’s pipeline and more specifically, no projects involving oil field developments.

The Commission remains committed to the application by the EBRD of the highest environmental
standards for its investment projects. In this context, it is important to note that EBRD involvement has in
the past improved the environmental practices of the companies benefiting from the Bank’s financing,
including LUKoil.

In the Union, the choice of crude supply sources is made autonomously and independently by each

4.
refining or purchasing company.

(1) Relevant Helcom Recommendations in this respect are in particular Recommendation 18/2 (of 12 March 1997) on
offshore activities and Recommendation 19/17 (of 24 March 1998) on Measures in order to combat pollution from
offshore units. Following a request made by the delegation of Lithuania, a recent meeting of Helcom Heads of
Delegation (Helsinki, 27/28 October 2003) agreed to review these recommendations in cooperation with relevant
experts from the OSPAR Commission and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP).

(2004/C 88 E/0663)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3380/03

by Christos Zacharakis (PPE-DE)
and Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 November 2003)

Subject: Representations to the Egyptian authorities to implement the principles of democracy and the

protection of human rights

In 1989 the Egyptian Government arrested in Suez and sentenced to death three Greek seamen from the
‘Thanassis’ on charges of smuggling, even though their guilt was never proven. After pressure from
prominent European personalities, these sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment.

This affair received widespread media coverage, and many Greek radio and television programmes were
broadcast on the subject. A book was also published describing the unwarranted sentences handed down
on them and the wretched conditions of detention in Egyptian prisons. Two of the three seamen have
already died in Egyptian prisons, while the third, Konstantinos Kastanias, is seriously ill and is slowly dying
in al-Qanatir prison.

The European Parliament has repeatedly expressed the need to strengthen democracy in Egypt (Resolutions
P5_TA(2002)0378, P5_TA(2002)0410) and has referred to the specific case of the wretched conditions of
detention of Konstantinos Kastanias, calling on the Egyptian authorities to permit him to be transferred to
Greece on humanitarian grounds (Resolution P5_TA-PROV(2003)0192, 10.4.2003). It will also be recalled
that Article 2 of the Cooperation Agreement between Egypt and the European Union calls for respect for
human rights and the principles of democracy and that Commissioner Chris Patten made a statement
before the plenary of the European Parliament on 5 September 2002 urging Egypt to adopt the highest
judicial and democratic standards if is to achieve its developmental and political ambitions. Particularly in
view of its cooperation with Egypt and the above statement, will the Commission say what immediate
measures it intends to take to prevail upon Egypt to heed the European Parliament’s request and allow
Konstantinos Kastanias who is dying to be transferred to Greece, in accordance with the above European
Parliament Resolution P5_TA-prov(2003)0192 of 10.4.2003?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2003)

The Commission is aware of the detention of Mr Konstantinos Kastanias in an Egyptian prison for drug
trafficking and his sentence to death (subsequently commuted to life imprisonment). The Commission is
aware that on humanitarian grounds, the Egyptian authorities in 1996 repatriated Mr Nikos Zagelidis, one
of two other persons charged with the same sentence.

C 88 E/648

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

The Commission is following this case and has been in contact with the Greek and the Egyptian
authorities.

The Commission is prepared to support any further diplomatic effort by Greece or by the Union
Presidency for the transfer on humanitarian grounds of Mr Kastanias to Greece by virtue of the existing
bilateral agreement on the exchange of detainees.

(2004/C 88 E/0664)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3391/03

by Luigi Vinci (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 November 2003)

Subject: Negotiations between Turkey and the Commission on the case against Leyla Zana

the Turkish daily newspaper Hurriyet mentions
A recent article by the Brussels correspondent of
negotiations between Turkey and the European Commission based on the Turkish proposal
for a
favourable judgment in the case against Leyla Zana in exchange for the inclusion of KADEK on Europe’s
list of terrorist organisations.

Can the Commission either confirm this report or officially deny it?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(5 December 2003)

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that the article referred to has no basis in
fact. There are no negotiations between the Commission and the Turkish Government on the subjects
mentioned in the question.

The Commission provided its assessment of the ongoing re-trial in the Sadak, Zana, Dicle and Dogan case
in its 2003 Regular Report, which was published on 5 November 2003 (1), and will continue to monitor
this closely.

(1) COM(2003) 676 final.

(2004/C 88 E/0665)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3396/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(17 November 2003)

Subject: Failure to pay compensation to Italian exiles in former Yugoslavia

The cultural association ‘Movimento nazionale Istria Fiume Dalmazia’ has for many years now been
campaigning for recognition of the rights of the 350 000 Italian exiles who were obliged to leave
Yugoslavia for historical reasons that are sufficiently well known.

Two agreements were concluded, at Osimo in 1975 and Rome in 1983, recognising the right to fair
compensation of the Italian exiles who had been obliged to abandon their entire property. However, with
the break-up of Yugoslavia, the successor states, Slovenia and Croatia, have failed to pay the agreed
instalments. According to a recent study by the technical commission set up by Trieste province in
cooperation with Rome province and the Trieste city council, the 1983 agreements need to be revised in
order to put an end to the exclusion of foreign citizens under the ‘denationalisation’ laws and remove the
bureaucratic obstacles to the purchase of property in Slovenia.