91997E2623

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2623/97 by Christine Oddy (PSE) to the Commission (1 September 1997)

Subject: Mordechai Vanunu

Mordechai Vanunu has been in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison for over ten years. His abduction in Italy in 1986 by the Israel secret police is widely condemned and his subsequent treatment is out of all proportion to any threat that he poses to Israeli national security.

What does the Commission propose to do to encourage the Israeli Government to recognize that ten years' solitary confinement is cruel and inhuman punishment, amounting to torture, and that his release is long overdue?

Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission (30 September 1997)

The Commission is aware that Mr. Vanunu's imprisonment conditions have not changed since he was sentenced and would certainly view favourably any change aiming at a more ordinary prison regime. In this regard, the Commission shares the view that Mr. Vanunu's imprisonment in solitary confinement no longer seems to serve the purpose of preventing him from publicizing information which is sensitive for Israel.

The issue of human rights in Israel is regularly raised by the Community for discussion as appropriate during contacts with Israeli authorities.

The completion of the process of ratification of the Euro-Mediterranean association agreement establishing a framework of political dialogue with Israel will enable the Community as a whole, and the Commission as such, to exercise a higher degree of positive influence regarding all human rights-related issues, including that of the imprisonment of Mr. Vanunu. In this regard, it should be noted that the agreement includes a human rights clause that stipulates that respect for human rights constitutes an essential element of the agreement.