Written declaration No. 556 | Doc. 13324 | 11 February 2014

Malta – detention without trial

Signatories: Sir Roger GALE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Miloš ALIGRUDIĆ, Serbia, EDG ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Joe BENTON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Michael CONNARTY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr David DAVIES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Ismeta DERVOZ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD ; Mr Jonathan EVANS, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Gvozden Srećko FLEGO, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Tamás GAUDI NAGY, Hungary, NR ; Ms Cheryl GILLAN, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Mike HANCOCK, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Ms Unnur Brá KONRÁÐSDÓTTIR, Iceland, EDG ; Sir Edward LEIGH, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Ian LIDDELL-GRAINGER, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Meritxell MATEU, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Robert NEILL, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr René ROUQUET, France, SOC ; Dame Angela WATKINSON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Karin S. WOLDSETH, Norway

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

We the undersigned note with concern the number of people currently held in prison or on bail in Malta, in breach of Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, for unacceptably long periods without charge or trial.

We particularly note the case of a British National, Jovica Kolakovic, who has been held first in prison and subsequently on bail since 2009, without charge or trial, understand that Mr Kolakovic has been denied the right to return, while on bail, to the United Kingdom to see his four children and believes that the failings of the judicial system in Malta warrant the attention and investigation of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly.