§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions have been taken by(a) UNMIK, (b) the EU, (c) the International Committee for the Red Cross, (d) the International Commissioner for Human Rights and (d) his Department to secure the release of the Kosovo Albanian prisoners detained in Serbia. [149778]
§ Mr. VazUNMIK and the EU regularly raise the issue of Kosovo detainees with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) authorities. The International Committee of the Red Cross visit and provide humanitarian assistance to all Kosovo Albanian prisoners in Serbia and report regularly too on their findings. Representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visit Kosovo Albanians in Serbian prisons, monitor trails and lobby the authorities in cases of sick, juvenile and women prisoners.
We have stressed to the FRY authorities that it is unacceptable that people should be held for a prolonged period without trial. We have repeatedly made clear the importance we attach to the rapid resolution of this issue. We welcome the draft Amnesty law on political prisoners and call on the FRY and Serbian Governments to release all Kosovo Albanian prisoners held without charges or on political grounds.
§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Kosovo Albanian prisoners are detained in Serbia. [149777]
§ Mr. VazAccording to Special Representative Mr. Henrik Amneus, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), 673 Kosovo Albanians are imprisoned in Serbia.