The European Parliament,

A. deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Syria, namely the continued detention of political prisoners, some of whom have been incarcerated since the present regime came to power,

B. deeply concerned about the maintenance in Syria of policies of religious intolerance and suppression,

C. further concerned that the Syrian Government continues to harbour a known fascist responsible for gross violations of human rights, namely Alois Brunner, deputy and personal secretary to Adolf Eichmann, who was personally responsible for sending to their deaths more than 120 000 Jews from Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Greece, particularly brutal towards French Jews, sending to their deaths more than 200 children from Jewish-operated orphanages, including 34 children from Louveciennes,

D. whereas Alois Brunner has been living since 1955 in Damascus, Syria, under the protection of the Syrian Government and Syrian bodyguards, having assumed the name of Dr Georg Fischer; whereas it is well known that he is living in a flat in 7, Rue Hadad in Damascus,

E. deeply concerned that the Syrian Government has never reacted to the numerous international requests for Brunner's extradition from Syria, including

- the requests by Israel and Austria in 1961,

- the request by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1984,

- the international search by Interpol in 1987,

- the request by France in 1988,

- the resolution of the American House of Representatives in April 1991,

F. deeply concerned that the Syrian Government is taking part in the Middle East peace process while protecting one of the most monstrous Nazi war criminals,

1. Instructs its Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries, which is to visit Syria in September 1991, to discuss these human rights violations and the case of Alois Brunner when meeting the government's representatives;

2. Requests the governments of the Member States to start a common initiative urging the President of Syria to permit the extradition of Alois Brunner for trial in Germany;

3. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council of Ministers, the governments of the Member States and the government of Syria.