MEP Calls for Release of Human Rights Activists Detained in Serbia

After the detention of human rights activists from Falun Gong in Belgrade earlier this week, Eduard Kukan, Chair of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, made the following statement:

I am concerned about the detention of Falun Gong human rights activists in Belgrade, who came to Serbia to raise awareness about the human rights situation in China. This happened prior to the third summit of heads of government of China and Central and Eastern European Countries, which started on Tuesday this week in Belgrade.

I was informed that among the detainees were citizens of the European Union, including one Slovak national, nine citizens from Bulgaria and one from Finland. The European Parliament is committed to supporting democracy and human rights dialogues around the world, and supports the right to assembly and peaceful protests in countries of the EU, and in the countries aspiring to become EU members. Considering that Serbia is an EU candidate country, we are alarmed by the steps the Serbian authorities took in this case, and we ask for release of the human rights activists, as well as a clear explanation of the situation.”