European Parliament
President.
Question No 1 by Bart Staes 
Subject: Abduction of Arjan Erkel, a volunteer doctor working with MSF (Médecins sans Frontières – Doctors without Borders)
Arjan Erkel is a volunteer doctor working with Médecins Sans Frontières and head of the MSF mission in Dagestan. On 12 August 2002, he was abducted in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. Six months on, MSF still has no news about his safety, the place where he is being held or his state of health. The European Parliament has already adopted a resolution in which it called on the Russian Government to do its utmost to ensure the early release of Dr Erkel.
Has the Council already raised the case of Dr Erkel in its contacts with the Russian authorities? If so, what was the outcome of any consultations with the Russian authorities? What steps will the Council be taking over the next few weeks and months in order to secure the release of Dr Erkel?

