Written question No. 663 to the Committee of Ministers | Doc. 13578 | 08 July 2014

Prisoner’s location in Spain

Question from Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC

Question from Mr Björn von SYDOW, Sweden, SOC

In Spain, there are around 500 Basque inmates, considered political prisoners.

Following a verdict from the European Court of Human Rights last year, Spanish authorities and courts have initiated freeing some of these inmates. This is a policy which should be welcomed and recognized in all Europe.

However, those inmates who are still in prison, while awaiting their freedom, are dispersed all over Spain. This makes it very difficult, dangerous and costly for their families, living in the Basque areas, to visit them, in accordance to common law and practices.

Mr Gross and Mr Von Sydow,

To ask the Committee of Ministers,

How can the Committee of Ministers assure these inmates to be held, in line with the European Court of Human Rights,  in institutions in areas as close to their families as possible ?