*** From [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Tomasz Iwanowski) > This is being sent on behalf of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > as part of the mailing list that you joined. > List: ICDSM > URL: http://www.icdsm.org > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > > International Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic www.icdsm.org > > The URL for this article is: http://www.icdsm.org/appeal-a.htm > > Subscribe to the ICDSM email list at > http://www.icdsm.org/maillist.htm Receive articles posted at > www.icdsm.org > > ======================================= > Dear friends, > > The following letter from the International Committee to Defend > Slobodan Milosevic was sent recently to all Heads of State in the > world. Please use this document in any way you deem appropriate. For > example, you could collect signatures, add them to the appeal, and > send it to your own Head of State. You may also distribute it as a > flier or as email for its educational value, or send it to other > officials or to the media. > > Please feel free to translate. If you do translate the text, please > inform us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [Posted 11 March 2002] > ======================================= > Your Excellency, > > We address you as an honorable and distinguished leader on behalf of > our International Committee. We wish to draw your attention to a > political injustice with possible negative implications for > international law and order and the sovereignty of all nations. > > On 28 June 2001 the former head of the Yugoslav State, Mr. Slobodan > Milosevic was abducted from his own country. > > This act was carried out by means of a conspiracy involving elements > of the present regime in the Yugoslav capital of Belgrade and foreign > elements. He was detained by the so-called International Criminal > Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) situated in The Hague, > Netherlands. This was done despite the Yugoslav Constitution's > prohibition against extradition of citizens and furthermore in > defiance of an injunction against the extradition of Mr. Milosevic > imposed by the Yugoslav Constitutional Court. The event was called an > 'abduction' even by the present president of Yugoslavia. > > On February 12 President Milosevic will face the beginning of his > 'trial' before this 'tribunal.' It was founded in 1993 and authorized > by the UN Security Council although the Security Council has no > right, under the United Nations charter, to create a judicial body. > The 'tribunal's' stated purpose is to 'prosecute persons responsible > for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in > the territory of former Yugoslavia since 1991.' > > President Milosevic is charged with 'crimes' supposedly committed by > Yugoslav Army and security forces during operations against terrorist > units in the Kosovo Autonomous Province of the Yugoslav federal > republic of Serbia. > > These terrorist units were closely linked with and trained by > al-Qaeda, Islamic Jihad and the secret services of some NATO and > neighboring countries. The terrorists committed numerous atrocities > against the civilian population of all ethnic groups. > > President Milosevic is accused without evidence for events that > allegedly took place precisely during the 1999 NATO aggression > against Yugoslavia. In fact, during that conflict the Yugoslav Army > acted in disciplined compliance with the Geneva Conventions, despite > the fact that it was fighting terrorists who operated in full > coordination and alliance with NATO Air Forces. Let us note that > other armies have acted differently when fighting terrorists. > > NATO dropped 25.000 tons of bombs and missiles, including more than > 50.000 shells containing about 20 tons of depleted Uranium and 152 > containers with more than 35.000 cluster bombs, deliberately killing > thousands of civilians, systematically destroying the country's > economy and infrastructure, including refineries and chemical plants, > producing war damage of more than 100 billion dollars. This was > terrorism from the air. Meanwhile, the terrorists on the ground > butchered another thousands of civilians during the aggression and > have continued to do so since NATO took over Kosovo. They have also > destroyed more than 100 Christian churches, some of them cultural > monuments from the medieval age, which were creations of delight to > all humanity. > > The "tribunal for former Yugoslavia" was set up in 1993 by UN > Security Council Resolutions 808 and 827, under pressure from former > U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Although its Statute > assumes UN funding, the 'tribunal' is financed primarily from > American governmental and private sources and by a few governments of > Islamic countries. > > In his book "Nouvel ordre mondiale et controle de la legalite des > actes du Conseil de Securite" (Bruxelles, 1994), professor Mohammed > Bedjaoui, the president of the International Court for Justice (ICJ), > one of the main pillars of the UN system, listed Resolutions 808 and > 827 among the very few examples when the Security Council violated > the UN Charter. This may give some moral satisfaction. But the > reality is that neither the General Assembly nor any other > institution in the UN system has ever dared to request an opinion > from the ICJ on the legitimacy of the ICTY. And the UN institutions > are the only ones authorized to do this. Moreover, the ICTY is > unwilling to let ICJ rule on its legality. > > The ICTY, being a NATO sponsored 'tribunal', has never charged any > NATO leader or pilot with any crime although such indictments have > been demanded by interested parties. These parties include the group > of distinguished Canadian attorneys led by Professor Michael Mandel > and even Amnesty International. And not one Kosovo terrorist has been > charged. But President Slobodan Milosevic was illegally abducted and > detained. He is awaiting 'trial' because he legally defended his > country from aggression and terrorism. This is neither justice nor > equality! > > President Milosevic's government was overthrown in a coup d'.tat in > October 2000. Control over the main state and private enterprises was > violently seized by forces financed and controlled by the Clinton > administration. (This has been admitted. For example, a public USAID > report indicates that 231 million dollars was invested in the > 'development of democracy' in Yugoslavia during 2000). > > President Milosevic was arrested in Belgrade on 31 March 2001, only a > few days after tens of thousands of people in Belgrade rallied in his > support, marking the second anniversary of NATO aggression. > > The arrest was performed in a two-days-and-nights-long spectacular > action, of tens of thousands, this time policemen. They were sent > although there was no resistance, in order to manifest power and to > prevent the masses from protecting the popular leader. Criminal > charges and an arrest warrant were written only after the police > action started, and were never handed to the president. > > After the three months of investigation of possible "misuse of power" > and "corruption" produced no evidence, exactly two days before > authorities were required by law to release president Milosevic, the > prime minister of the Serbian state, known for his connections with > Mafia circles and foreign intelligence, violated the Constitution, > kidnapping president Milosevic from jail and delivering him without > legal procedure or right of appeal to NATO forces in Bosnia. NATO > then brought him to their "tribunal" in The Hague. The Federal > authorities, including the President, did nothing to stop this nor to > punish the perpetrators, despite statements of condemnation. > > The aim of this crime was to eliminate the opposition. The nation was > shamed by the promise that Yugoslavia would be given some aid in > exchange for kidnapping President Milosevic; on top of this, there is > evidence that the perpetrators personally received a $ 5 million > reward offered earlier by the US government. The abduction was > executed on June 28, St. Vitus day, the holiest day for all Serbs. > > Since that time and until the present, hundreds of thousands of > people have continuously marched in the streets of Belgrade and other > Yugoslav cities, demanding the release of Slobo, protesting against > the undemocratic regime of mercenaries and former clerks of Western > companies that is quickly pushing the countries' economy into a > condensed version of the Argentinean-type fall. They are also > protesting against the NATO protectorate in Kosovo, where, misusing > UN SC Res. 1244, NATO has imposed the rule of terrorists and > narco-dealers who have brutally harassed and murdered more people > than they did before NATO arrived. > > Most NATO governments and the media under their influence, who > demonized president Milosevic in preparation for the 1999 war and the > 2000 coup d'.tat, applauded after he was kidnapped. Now, after > September 11 and Afghanistan, they have fallen silent. They feel > uncomfortable, since many in the world and everybody in Yugoslavia > see that terrorists in Kosovo were fought in far more legal, > organized and humane way by the Yugoslav Army, than terrorists in > Afghanistan are fought by the US Army. And the same terrorists who > are used to justify carpet-bombing Afghanistan are still treated as > esteemed political partners in Kosovo, NATO's protectorate. > > Our International Committee for the Defense of Slobodan Milosevic > (ICDSM) was founded on March 24, 2001 in Berlin. This was done during > the European Peace Forum held on the occasion of the second > anniversary of NATO aggression against Yugoslavia. The ICDSM now > comprises about 100 active members and nearly 2000 supporters from > more than 30 countries of all continents - professors, lawyers, > artists, activists, and politicians. In addition, National Committees > with the same goal exist in 10 European countries. Harold Pinter, the > playwright from United Kingdom, Mikis Theodorakis, the composer from > Greece, Alexander Zinov'ev, the writer and philosopher from Russia, > Peter Handke, the novelist from Austria, Boris Oliynik, the poet from > Ukraine and dozens of influential political parties and organizations > support our demand for freedom for Slobodan Milosevic. 100 Russian > senators, more than 100 deputies of the State Duma, 50 members of the > Greek parliament, 500.000 citizens of Ukrai! > ne and many others have signed appeals with the same demand: Release > Milosevic! And the detained President has received tens of thousands > of letters of support from all over the world. > > By a vast majority of the popular vote in free elections, Slobodan > Milosevic was elected President of the Republic of Serbia in 1990. He > was elected again in 1992, after, under foreign pressure on his > country and with civil wars in the neighborhood, he decided to > shorten his mandate and check popular confidence in his policy. In > 1997 he was elected President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. > During his time in office, citizens voted six times in general > elections. The national policy was always based on popular vote. Mr. > Milosevic is founder and president of the Socialist Party of Serbia, > which was the main force in different governmental coalitions during > the same period. > > President Milosevic and his party advocate equality of all peoples, > individuals and ethnic groups in a socially just, democratic society. > Because of the success in defending these values and in protecting > the political and economic sovereignty of the country, he became the > main enemy for those who produced the violent break-up of the former > Yugoslav federation using extreme nationalism and terrorism. To cover > their dirty work, they had to demonize the leader of the biggest > nation of the former Yugoslavia, accusing him of all the terrible > consequences that they have brought to the Balkan Peninsula, the > bridge between Europe and The Middle East and the southern road to > the Caucasian and Central Asian regions former Soviet Union. > > With his persistent anti-war policy, president Milosevic was the most > important participant in all peace initiatives in the last decade in > the Balkans and the main promoter of policies of economic integration > and cooperation in the region. He was celebrated for his contribution > to the Vance Plan and the Dayton Accord that ended the civil wars in > Croatia and Bosnia. Now that President Milosevic has been detained, > charges have been fabricated against him for supposed crimes in > Croatia and Bosnia. And all this under the foggy concept of "command > responsibility". > > Your Excellency, > > President Milosevic is a political prisoner threatened by a purely > political show trial in a purely political institution disguised as a > court, with no democratic control, indeed controlled by the > governments of the very countries that waged aggressive war against > Yugoslavia. > > This institution, created in violation of the UN Charter also > violates seriously in its everyday practice the International > Covenant on Civil and Human Rights and all other universal and > European basic documents on the protection of human rights. > Presumption of guilt, unlimited detention, retroactive trial, secret > indictments and secret witnesses, and even the use of Western > security services to collect evidence - these are only the most > obvious reasons nobody should be extradited to this 'tribunal'. Such > a legal monster should not exist, and certainly not under insignia of > United Nations. And particularly with the prospect that the > International Criminal Court, founded properly on the basis of valid > multilateral agreement ratified by the parliaments of founding > countries, will soon be established. > > Your Excellency, > > President Milosevic does not recognize the legitimacy of this > 'tribunal' and refuses to participate in procedural steps for his > defense. From the 'courtroom' he sends the world strong messages of > law and justice and lessons of patriotism and dignity. > > If the president Milosevic were to be sentenced by such an illegal > court whose practice proves its political character and partiality, > that would mean the end of the principle of sovereign equality of > nations which is the basis of the UN, an organization created to > secure lasting peace, cooperation and development in the world. That > would kill the hope that relations between countries can be based on > international law and democracy. That would mean also that the > sovereignty of any nation could become a victim of imperial > geopolitical plans > > Your Excellency, > > We appeal to your wisdom and virtue to support publicly our struggle > for freedom for President Milosevic. That would mean justice for > Yugoslavia. We also appeal to you to initiate appropriate action by > your government in the United Nations with the aim of abolishing the > "tribunal for former Yugoslavia" which attempts to put on trial one > nation in order to crush its freedom and imprison its spirit.. > > Professor Velko Valkanov, Member of Parliament, President of the > Bulgarian Antifascist Union, Founder and Co-Chairperson ICDSM, Sofia, > Bulgaria > > Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General, Co-Chairperson ICDSM, New > York, USA > > Mihail N. Kuznecov, Vice-Chairperson ICDSM, Special Adviser on > International Law > > Jared Israel, Writer and Journalist, Editor of Emperor's Clothes, > Vice-Chairperson ICDSM, Boston, USA > > Liana Kaneli, Member of Parliament, Attorney, Vice-Chairperson ICDSM, > Athens, Greece > > Sergei Dovgan', President Peasants' Party, Member of Parliament, > Vice-Chairperson ICDSM, Kiev, Ukraine > > Christopher Black, Attorney, Vice-Chairperson ICDSM, Toronto, Canada > > Fulvio Grimaldi, Journalist and Filmmaker, Vice-Chairperson ICDSM, > Rome, Italy > > Klaus Hartmann, Chairperson of World Union of Freethinkers, > Vice-Chairperson ICDSM, Bonn, Germany > > Nico Varkevisser, Editor, Targets Newspaper, Vice-Chairperson of the > NGO, Global Reflexion, Vice-Chairperson ICDSM, Amsterdam, The > Netherlands > > www.icdsm.org * [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > Click to be removed: > http://MessageBot.com/r.cgi?[EMAIL PROTECTED]&list=ICDSM > ------------------------------------------------------------ > Powered by http://MessageBot.com/ > Get Cool Images at http://www.flamingtext.com/mb.html >
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