Murder Of Heorhiy Gongadze

EDM number 1478 in 2001-02, proposed by Edward Davey on 19/06/2002.

That this House is concerned about the alleged conspiracy by President Leonid Kuchma and his office to harm the Ukrainian journalist Heorhiy Gongadze - a noted critic of the President - whose headless torso was discovered outside Kyiv on 16th September 2000; notes that the General Procurator's office and the Interior Ministry in Ukraine have obstructed investigations into the murder; believes that it is very important to establish the authenticity of the evidence on which these allegations are based - the audio tapes provided by Mr Melnychenko, a former member of the Security Service of the Ukraine; further notes that it is alleged that the tapes could contain information implicating President Kuchma's government in selling arms to Iraq; believes that the actions of President Kuchma and his government are inconsistent with the standards expected from a country hoping to join the EU; applauds the BBC for their documentary on this case broadcast on 21st April 2002; and therefore calls on the Government to support the demands made by the ad hoc Commission of the Ukrainian Parliament, the NUJ, the International Federation of Journalists, Reporters without Frontiers and the Institute of Mass Information (Kyiv) to the Council of Europe to establish without further delay the independent commission of enquiry called for by the Council of Europe, in September last year, to meet the lobby of the Council of Europe on 25th June 2002 and to offer to the Council of Europe the services of independent investigators from the United Kingdom.

This motion has been signed by a total of 55 MPs.