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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

NEWS SERVICE 209/94

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TO: PRESS OFFICERSAI INDEX: NWS 11/209/94

FROM: IS PRESS OFFICEDISTR: SC/PO

DATE: 14 SEPTEMBER 1994 NO OF WORDS:872

NEWS SERVICE ITEMS: EXTERNAL - DENMARK (This item is for use primarily by the Danish section, it is for response only for other sections).

PLEASE NOTE: Please do not inform any media about our plans to launch the Indonesia & East Timor campaign in Thailand until the event. The Thai Government has become increasingly sensitive about non-governmental organizations criticizing its ASEAN neighbours from within Thailand in the past few weeks and there is a real risk that we may be stopped from holding the press conference if they hear about it before the event.

We have a contingency plan of moving on to Tokyo at the last minute and holding a press conference on the same date - 28 September - should we be stopped. We would also make international news of our ban, should it happen. We will keep you posted through the News Service.

As before, if you would like Paula to invite any of your correspondents in Bangkok to the launch, please send a message via Dina.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELEASES

**Brazil - 14 September - PLEASE NOTE THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL RELEASE. SEE NEWS SERVICE 137/94. Details of where and when the launch will be in Brazil in NEWS SERVICE 207/94.

** Kosovo - 19 September 1200 hrs GMT - PLEASE NOTE EXACT EMBARGO TIME AND AMEND YOUR NEWS RELEASES ACCORDINGLY. SEE NEWS SERVICE 137/94

Indonesia - 28 September - LAUNCH OF CAMPAIGN

** Algeria - 25 October** - PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE. SEE NEWS SERVICE 137/94

France - 12 October - SEE NEWS SERVICE 137/94

TARGETED AND LIMITED NEWS RELEASES

Zaire - 14 September - Targeted for French-speaking news agencies and French-speaking African media only, as well as sent by IS to Reuters.

Togo - 15 September - See news service 168/94

**Mali - 20 September** - SEE NEWS SERVICE 205/94

**Egypt - 21 September** - A news release is being written to go with a document about human rights defenders under threat (AI INDEX: MDE 12/15/94)

Turkey - 14 October - SEE NEWS SERVICE 181/94

**Iraq - 29 November ** - A news release will be written to accompany a document on NGE abuses in Iraqi Kurdistan since 1991.

News Service 209/94

AI INDEX: EUR 18/WU 07/94

14 SEPTEMBER 1994

DENMARK: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HAS NOT RETRACTED CONCERNS ABOUT ILL-TREATMENT

Amnesty International has not retracted any of the information in its June 1994 report about ill-treatment by police in Denmark, as has been reported today.

Today the organization again reiterated its concerns about ill-treatment by Danish police and called on the Danish authorities to address the issues raised by initiating an independent commission of inquiry to examine the use of force and restraint by police.

"An article appearing in Det Fri Aktuelt completely distorts Amnesty International's position and what we said in a letter to the chairman of the police union," the organization said.

The statement quoted in Det Fri Aktuelt's article that 'Amnesty International recognizes that some complaints made about ill-treatment by police may be exaggerated or untrue' has been taken out of context.

This statement was a generic comment intended to make clear that as part of Amnesty International's research methods the organization investigates allegations of ill-treatment to establish whether there is cause for concern, and that we do not accept such claims uncritically. The statement does not refer to any of the allegations contained in its report on Denmark.

The cases reported in "Denmark: Police Ill-treatment" are examples of the many allegations received by Amnesty International. Amnesty International has called on the government to undertake its obligations under international standards to initiate independent and impartial investigations into individual allegations of ill-treatment, to pay compensation to victims of ill-treatment for injuries and ill-treatment suffered, and to bring disciplinary or criminal proceedings against alleged perpetrators of ill-treatment.

On 24 August, Amnesty International responded to an "open letter" written by Tommy Agerskov Thomsen. The response confirmed that Amnesty International had spoken with police, the Director of Public Prosecutions and those responsible for the police prior to the publication of its report. In addition, following the receipt of numerous allegations of instances of ill-treatment by police in Denmark, Amnesty International carried out a variety of investigations, including interviews, examination of video tapes, medical records, police reports court and other records available. Amnesty International determined that several of these allegations made out a prima facie case of ill-treatment. Being concerned both about the allegations and the failure of the government to address these complaints adequately, Amnesty International published its report.

Amnesty International has welcomed the initiatives taken to date by the Danish Government in response to its report. The organization continues to urge the government to establish an independent commission of inquiry to examine the use of force and restraint by police, which would make recommendations for clarifying and improving existing techniques, regulations, equipment and training. With a view of determining the breadth of the problem of ill-treatment, Amnesty International has recommended that the commission be empowered to hear complaints from individuals who allege that they have been ill-treated by police. Amnesty International called on the authorities to protect such individuals from harassment and intimidation.

The organization has reiterated its belief that law enforcement officials, like ordinary citizens, are entitled to the same legal guarantees of the right to fair trial in any criminal proceedings brought against them.

ENDS\