WRITTEN QUESTION E-0137/04 by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. The case of Mrs Siham Qandah, Jordan.
Date: 2004-01-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Islamic law, Jordan, custody, freedom of religious beliefs, religious discrimination

C 88 E/684

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(25 February 2004)

The Commission deplores the accident on 9 January 2004 in which over 20 Albanian citizens died in the
Ionian Sea trying to reach Italy illegally. Despite previous assurances by the Albanian Government of a
substantial reduction in the number of speedboats and dinghies crossing over towards Italy, this event has
demonstrated that increased attention by the Albanian authorities is an absolute necessity. This message
was clearly conveyed by the President of the Commission to Prime Minister Nano during their meeting of
20 January 2004 in Brussels.

Preliminary investigations showed that members of
the Albanian police were directly involved in
facilitating this traffic. The reaction of the Albanian authorities was, on this occasion, immediate; arrests
and other actions against the organisers and participants in the operation were promptly taken. However,
they are able to carry out more extensive
the Albanian authorities still need to demonstrate that
investigations, and to ensure proper prosecution of all
the persons involved. They also need to
demonstrate that the reactions in the aftermath of this tragedy represent the start of a serious and
determined action against organised crime and smuggling of human beings.

The Commission accords the utmost importance to monitoring progress by Albania in Justice and Home
Affairs-related areas. In this context, it will continue to follow up closely events regarding this particular
case, as well as the general situation in Albania, with a view to exerting, as appropriate, the necessary
political pressure to help Albania to address these serious problems.

(2004/C 88 E/0703)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0137/04

by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 January 2004)

Subject: The case of Mrs Siham Qandah, Jordan

Is the Commission aware of the case of Mrs Siham Qandah, a Jordanian citizen? Mrs Qandah, who is a
Christian, has been facing the loss of custody of her two children, as they are not being brought up as
Muslims.

Mrs Qandah was widowed in 1994 and subsequently told that she was ineligible for her army-serving
husband’s pension as he had, unbeknown to her and on apparently forged documentation, converted to
Islam in 1991. The Jordanian courts appear to have threatened Mrs Qandah with a prison sentence, and
have been attempting to have custody of the children transferred to Mrs Qandah’s estranged brother, who
has converted to Islam.

What is the Commission policy on such cases of apparently state-permitted involvement, which is in
breach of the International Treaty of Human Rights (Article 18)?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(23 February 2004)

The Commission is closely monitoring the individual case of Mrs Siham Qandah. Mrs Qandah’s situation is
related to the wider problem of compatibility of the application of the Shari’ah law and the international
human rights conventions that
law. The
Commission shares the Honourable Member’s concern that the application of Shari’ah law in Jordan can
provoke great distress in families whose members are of mixed Christian and Muslim faith and lead to
results which are incompatible with these conventions.

fully transposed into national

Jordan has signed but not

As the Honourable Member knows Jordan is a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights. The Commission has raised the need for Jordan to implement effectively its commitments
to international human rights agreements, including those protecting the rights of women and children.

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/685

The question of the defence of human rights and in particular of those of women and children is
considered of prime importance by the Commission. The Commission will continue to stress their
importance in its future contacts with Jordanian authorities

In the framework of the EU-Jordan Association Agreement, the Union and Jordan is establishing a
continuous political dialogue at the highest level aimed inter alia at improving the human rights situation
in Jordan. This includes cooperation on particular issues relating to human rights as well as working to
improve the application of international conventions.

(2004/C 88 E/0704)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0144/04

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(26 January 2004)

Subject: Cuba (cid:1) Commission delegation

In reply to my question P-2303/03 (1), Commissioner Nielson said that the Cuban Government had agreed
to the appointment of the Head of Commission Delegation in Cuba on 14 April 2003.

At that time, it had not been scheduled when his credentials were to be presented.

Can the Commission answer the following:

(cid:1) has there been any further developments? Has the date for accreditation now been fixed;

(cid:1) what steps have been taken to regularise this situation;

(cid:1) have the Cuban authorities given any expiation of the delay;

(cid:1) how does the Commission read the situation, and what comments does it have to make?

(1) See page 76.

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2004)

No date has been fixed yet for the presentation of credentials, despite official indications that the ceremony
It is worth noting that the Head of the Commission’s Santo Domingo
was imminent three times.
Delegation already appears in the recently published 2004 ‘List of the diplomatic and consular corps
accredited in Cuba’ as ‘designated’ non-resident Head of Delegation of the European Communities in
Havana.

The Commission’s Chargé d’affaires in Havana has repeatedly requested during the last months that the
authorities indicate a date for the presentation of credentials. The last time this matter was officially
brought to the attention of the authorities was on 24 November 2003 in a meeting with the Cuban
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Similar démarches have been undertaken to the Cuban Embassies in Santo
Domingo and in Brussels.

So far no reply to the request to set a specific date has been received.

The Commission assumes that the Cuban authorities may not consider the current state of bilateral
relations conducive for formalising the accreditation of the Commission’s non-resident Head of Delegation
in Havana. It needs to be remembered that a diplomatic freeze was imposed on all EU missions in Cuba
which have invited dissidents and political opponents to their respective National Days. Cuban dissidents
were invited to the Schuman Day reception on 9 May 2003 in Havana.