Doc. 9340

31 January 2002

Human rights in Macedonia

Written Question No. 405 to the Committee of Ministers
by Mr Boriss Cilevičs

      Recalling that, on 16 January 2002, the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), a prominent human rights NGO network, published a statement concerning attacks on and threats to the Macedonian Helsinki Committee;

Learning that the statement recorded that these attacks are caused merely by the Macedonian Helsinki Committee’s efforts to hold the Government of Macedonia accountable in terms of fulfilling its human rights obligations;

Noting that IHF quotes Macedonia’s Minister of the Interior as referring to the president of the Macedonian Helsinki Committee, Mirjana Nacevska, as “state enemy number 1”, “anti-Macedonian”, etc,

      Mr Cilevičs,

      To ask the Committee of Ministers,

-       whether the Committee of Ministers follows these developments;

-       how the Committee of Ministers evaluates the attitude of the Government of Macedonia towards the leading human rights NGO in the country in the light of Macedonia’s obligations and commitments as a Council of Europe member state;

-       whether the Committee of Ministers considers it necessary to publicly express its attitude in this respect.

Signed : ¹

Cilevičs, Latvia, SOC

¹        SOC: Socialist Group