Doc. 8849
4 October 2000

Freedom of the Press

Written Declaration No. 309

This written declaration commits only the members who have signed it

1.       The Turkish Cypriot newspaper AVRUPA (Europe) is under increased and constant pressure aimed at forcing it to close down. Its publishers have been sentenced to a fine of 250,000 dollars and are being taken before a court martial.

2.       AVRUPA, a Turkish Cypriot opposition newspaper to the Denktash leadership, has been harshly persecuted.

3.       The international organisations of journalists have expressed their solidarity with the newspaper which is in danger of being closed by using violent and unethical means.

4.       The Council of Europe, an organisation the existence of which is also based on the promotion of the freedom of the press and of human rights, expresses its support to the persecuted Turkish Cypriot journalists.

5.       The protection of the freedom of the press and of the democratic rights of all the citizens of Cyprus constitutes the best foundation for a democratic solution and for the safeguarding of peace.

6.       In this spirit we demand that an end be put to the prosecution and persecution of AVRUPA and its journalists.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed : ¹

Cox, United Kingdom, SOC

Anton, Moldova, UEL

Christodoulides, Cyprus, UEL

Cryer, United Kingdom, SOC

Cunliffe, United Kingdom, SOC

de Puig, Spain, SOC

Demetriou, Cyprus, EPP/CD

Err, Luxembourg, SOC

Etherington, United Kingdom, SOC

Flynn, United Kingdom, SOC

Frimannsdottir, Iceland, NR

Fyfe, United Kingdom, SOC

Gross, Switzerland, SOC

Hadjidemetriou, Cyprus, SOC

Hegyi, Hungary, SOC

Jirousová, Czech Republic, UEL

Jones, United Kingdom, SOC

Judd, United Kingdom, SOC

Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC

Kanelli, Greece, UEL

Kittis, Cyprus, LDR

Laakso, Finland, UEL

Marmazov, Ukraine, UEL

Marshall, United Kingdom, SOC

McNamara, United Kingdom, SOC

Meale, United Kingdom, SOC

Mikaelsson, Sweden, UEL

O’Hara, United Kingdom, SOC

Pavlidis, Greece, EPP/CD

Ponsonby, United Kingdom, SOC

Rakhansky, Ukraine, UEL

Rapson, United Kingdom, SOC

Smith, United Kingdom, SOC

Vermot-Mangold, Switzerland, SOC

Vis, United Kingdom, SOC

Wray, United Kingdom, SOC

______________________

      Total = 36

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group