Motion for a resolution

pursuant to Article 47 of the Rules of Procedure

tabled by Olivier Dupuis, Gianfranco Dell'Alba and Jaak Vandemeulebroucke on behalf of ARE group

on the case of Mr. Ukshin Hoti and human and political rights violations in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

The European Parliament

- having regard to its previous resolutions and recommendations on the situation in Kosovo and in the former Yugoslavia;

- having regard to the Council's "policy paper on former Yugoslavia" of October 31, 1995;

- having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirms the right to freedom of opinion and expression;

- having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is a state party;

- having regard to the resolution of the UN Commission on Human Rights from 15 April 1997 on Situation of human rights in Bosnia- Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (E/CN.4/1997/57);

- having regard to the EU Declaration concerning the trial of 19 Kosovo-Albanians of December 19, 1997

a. Whereas discrimination against the Albanian population has been systematically practised by the authorities of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in many levels of the society, including discriminatory legislation, unfair trials, warrantless searches, arbitrary detention, torture, violence etc.;

b. Whereas 52 political prisoners in three rigid trials on 1997 are recently reported to be serving their sentences in the prisons of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (in the total 557 years of imprisonment)

c. Whereas Mr. Ukshi Hoti, and other prisoners recognized as prisoners of conscience, has been repeatedly imprisoned, after an unfair trial, for having exercised his freedom of opinion and expression;

d. Whereas the agreement on the 1996 normalisation of the education system in Kosovo has still not been implemented;

e. Whereas from October to December 1997 peaceful protests by Albanian students against the lack of normalisation of the education system were violently broken up by the Serbian police;

f. Whereas the Council has approved the opening of an EU office in Pristina, a step that has been repeatedly requested by the European Parliament;

g. Whereas the return of a long-term OSCE mission, together with the EU, could play a decisive role in the region;

1. Calls upon the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia:

a. to revoke any discriminatory legislation, to apply just legislation without delay and to prevent discrimination against any ethnic or national, religious and linguistic group;

b. to take immediate action to put an end to the continuing repression of and prevent violence against the Albanian population, including acts of harassment, beatings, torture, warrantless searches, arbitrary detention, unfair trials, and arbitrary, unjustified evictions and dismissals;

c. to release immediately all political prisoners in FRY, including Mr. Ukshin Hoti, professor at Pristina University, sentenced to prison for the third time;

d. to fully respect human rights and fundamental freedoms of Albanians in Kosovo, including freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of press, freedom of movement and freedom in the field of education and information;

e. to allow the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Union to open an office in Prishtina (Kosova), and to allow visits by the Chairman in Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Max van der Stoel, in Kosovo;

f. to pursue dialogue with representatives of Albanians in Kosovo;

g. to expand opportunities for the independent media, and cease all attempts to restrict press and broadcast journalism;

2. Calls on the Commission and the Council to take the necessary steps to contribute actively to reach agreement between the government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the representatives of Albanians in Kosovo, and urges them to make it clear once more to the government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that future relations with the EU are dependent on respect of human rights and positive developments of the situation in Kosovo;

3. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government and the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to the President of Kosovo, Mr Ibrahim Rugova, to the political representatives and to the representatives of student movements in Serbia and Kosovo.