2006.10.02 - The CoE threatens Varsaw on homophobia

Translation in English of a France Press release.

---

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr. Terry Davis, has threatened on Monday to bring before the committee of ministers a story of homophobia, given that no satisfactory explanations have been given by Warsaw.

In June, Miroslaw Sielatycki, director of the permanent training centre on teaching (CODN), an institution of the Polish ministry of education, has been fired for having edited in Polish a brochure (sic) of the Council of Europe where it was suggested to teacher to invite LGTB organisations for speaking about discrimination.

« I just received an answer from the Polish authorities, but their motivations do not completely dissolve my inquietude for an homophobic behaviour supported by the government », Terry Davis explained in an article published by "Gazeta Wyborcza on Monday.

« It is too early to say how things will finish. If the fundamental rights of a person have been violated because of an action or non-action of the government, the issue can be brought before the European Court of Human Rights », Terry Davis wrote.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe has qualified the dismissal of Mr. Sielatycki as « unusual, given the membership of Poland to the Council of Europe and its commitments towards the values of the organisation. These values are not on a reception tray, where governments can pick them up according to their tastes ».

The Committee of Ministers is formed by the Foreign Ministers  of all the member countries. Watchdog - together with the Parliamentary Assembly - of the values at the base of the existence of the Council of Europe. The Committee has the mission to check member states pursue their commitments ».