Brussels, 11/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - On 10 May, the Swedish Presidency made the following Statement on behalf of the European Union:
"The EU is deeply disappointed with the recent judgements against the six persons involved in the killings of three international staff members of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara in September last year. The Union fully supports the United Nations Secretary General's views as expressed in his statement on 4 May. The brutality of the murders does not seem to be commensurately reflected in the judgements. The judgements weaken both domestic and international efforts to ensure the safety and security of all humanitarian personnel. The Union welcomes statements by the Indonesian Attorney General that the prosecutor intends to appeal the judgements. It recalls the commitment of Indonesia in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) that the trials of the suspects be conducted in conformity with international standards of justice and fairness.
The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the EU, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries members of the EEA, align themselves with this declaration."