MIA Public Council on Human Rights wants to get back to work

Members of the Public Council on Human Rights attached to the Ministry of Internal Affairs have been forced to address this open letter to the Minister since none of their questions has been answered. They ask the Minister to appoint a date for the next meeting of the Public Council.

“Half a year has passed since the last meeting of the Public Council on 10 December 2009 on Human Rights Day.

Since that time a number of issues have accumulated which need to be given consideration at a meeting of the Public Council. This includes approval of the Recommendations from the Public Hearings on the human rights situation in October 2009; the issue of the dissolution of the Department for the Monitoring of Human Rights in the Work of the Police; violations of the right to peaceful assembly seen over recent months; the plan to re-introduce named train tickets with passport details on the ticket which is a breach of privacy; and the development of further cooperation between civic and individual organizations on the one hand, and the Ministry on the other on human rights issues.

We have not received a single answer to our letters which is effectively paralyzing cooperation between civic organizations and MIA bodies, and making it impossible to implement principles of public scrutiny of the activities of police stations. Since you have not replied to our letters, sent to you personally, we are addressing this open letter to you asking that you set a date for the next meeting, having agreed its agenda with members of the Council from civic society.

Members of the MIA Public Council on Human Rights from civic society

10 June 2010