WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2776/98 by Johanna MAIJ-WEGGEN to the Commission. The imprisonment of Petrus Hariyanto in Indonesia
C 135/114 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 14. 5. 1999 Is there any form of cooperation at European level which ensures a fair trial and reasonable treatment 1. in prison for these people, or is there any form of consultation between the EU Member States with regard to prisoners jailed in the same country? Does the Commission play a coordinating role in this respect, for example through the local EU 2. ambassadors? Answer given by Mr van den Broek on behalf of Commission (22 October 1998) The Union is concerned with the situation in prisons throughout the world, particularly where the detention conditions of nationals of its Member States are involved. Where it considers that the situation justifies action under the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), it can make representations to the authorities of the countries concerned. Furthermore, under Article 8c of the Treaty on European Union and a Council Decision of 19 December 1995, every citizen of the European Union living or staying in a non-member country is entitled to the consular protection of any Member State’s diplomatic or consular representation in that country. The Council’s group on consular matters closely monitors the issue of EU citizens imprisoned in non- member countries. (1999/C 135/135) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2776/98 by Johanna Maij-Weggen (PPE) to the Commission Subject: The imprisonment of Petrus Hariyanto in Indonesia (14 September 1998) Amnesty International has drawn attention to the Indonesian student Petrus Hariyanto who is serving an eight-year sentence in Cipinang prison in Indonesia because he was one of the co-founders of the political party PRD. As far as is known, he has never been guilty of violence; nor has he ever propagated it. Will the Commission ask the Indonesian authorities if this political detainee can be released, now that the government has adopted a more democratic stance? Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (16 October 1998) The Commission regularly calls on the Indonesian authorities to release all political prisoners in Indonesia and will continue to do so. So far, only a limited number of political prisoners have been released, with many still remaining in prison. Petrus Hariyanto, one of the leaders of the political party PRD, was sentenced to eight years in jail in 1997 under the anti-subversion law. Although PRD is no longer a prohibited political party, Mr Hariyanto and the other imprisoned PRD leaders have not yet been released. The Commission will continue to include Petrus Hariyanto among the list of political prisoners whose release is urged upon the Indonesian government