Malta – detention without trial

Written declaration No. 556 | Doc. 13324 | 03 October 2013

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 ; 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, EDG

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

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.