The Earl of Carlisleasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to urge the authorities in Transnistria to release Mr Ilascu and three other citizens of the Republic of Moldova who have been illegally imprisoned under inhumane conditions since June 1992. [HL4201]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalWe support the work of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Moldova which monitors the conditions of detention of Mr Ilascu and his associates. An OSCE representative visited one of his fellow detainees, Andrei Ivantoc, in July. We also support the efforts of the Council of Europe which is pressing the Transdniestrian authorities to grant access to the prisoners by the International Committee for the Red Cross. As requested by us, the Troika of the European Union expressed the EU's concern over the treatment of the prisoners and the conditions in which they are detained during talks with the Transdniestrian authorities on 15 October.