Doc. 9354

4 February 2002

Political prisoners in Ukraine

Motion for a resolution

presented by Mr Mátyás Eörsi and others

1. On 9 March 2001, following demonstrations in the capital of Ukraine, massive arrests reportedly took place, with more than 240 persons taken into custody. Most of the persons detained at the time were released after a couple of days, but non-governmental organisations allege that some went missing, and fifteen persons remain in custody to this day.

2. These fifteen persons, reportedly considered by the Ukranian authorities to be responsible for the outburst of violence on 9 March 2001, were first detained in the pre-trial detention centre of the Security Service (SBU). They have recently been transferred to a pre-trial detention centre under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior, and have begun a hunger strike in protest of the bad conditions in that centre. However, the main complaint made by the detainees, and some non-governmental organisations, is that their cases are not brought to trial.

3. The Assembly calls upon the Ukrainian authorities to try or liberate these prisoners.

Signed : ¹

Eörsi, Hungary, LDR

Arnold, Denmark, LDR

Atkinson, United Kingdom, EDG

Bergqvist, Sweden, SOC

Čekuolis, Lithuania, LDR

Gross, Switzerland, SOC

Judd, United Kingdom, SOC

van der Linden, Netherlands, EPP/CD

Ragnarsdóttir, Iceland, EDG

Weiss, Slovakia, SOC

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