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THE BAR ASSOCIATION OF BELGRADE
Decancka 13, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Phone: +381 11 3239 805, +381 11 3239 875; Fax: +381 11 3237 082
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Acting in accordance with the conclusions of its Managing Board of 13
October 2004, the Bar Association of Belgrade submits the following
PUBLIC STATEMENT
Acting strictly on the professional and ethical basis and disregarding any
political considerations, the Bar Association of Belgrade points out that
the right to defence of some individuals tried before the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has been blatantly
violated.
This violation is reflected in the changes of rules while the procedure is
in progress, by which the defendants are prevented of preparing and
presenting their defence, in conditions of an inappropriately short time
given and uncritical and unprincipled treatment of their health. In this
way, the principle of equality of arms between defence and prosecution is
violated and defendants are put in totally unequal position. The imposition
of defence counsel which acts without instructions of the accused is also an
impediment for the accused to prepare his defence and use all the evidence
and procedural tools he wishes to.
The above especially applies to the trial of former President Slobodan
Milosevic.
Acting in this way, the ICTY compromises the right of defendants to defence
and by that to a fair trial to the utmost; this right being guaranteed to
any accused before any court of law.
Advocates of Belgrade consider that by acting in this was the ICTY itself
contributes to the loss of its credibility not only in the eyes of experts,
but also in the eyes of wide public; acting in this way the ICTY directly
contradicts the efforts of the official, state organs which call upon those
indicted to voluntarily surrender to the Tribunal.
Adhering to the principles of truth and justice, in the belief that
Advocates must bring the truth to courts, we express our protest against the
violation of the rights to defence and fair trial of the accused. We demand
that any accused, without regard to his or hers nationality, be accorded the
right to defence guaranteed by all international human rights conventions
and documents relative to the procedure before the ICTY.
At the same time, we appeal to all the colleagues at home and abroad not to
accept the dishonorable role of an imposed defence counsel on an unwilling
accused, thus showing respect for the ethics of our profession and the ICTY
Statute.
The Bar Association of Belgrade will inform the international bodies for the
protection of human rights about its position and conclusions from this
statement. The International Union of Advocates will also be informed, the
Union of which the Bar Association of Belgrade is a founding member since
1928.
President of the Bar
Association of Belgrade
Vojislav S. Nedic
(Published as an ad in the daily "Politika", Belgrade, 23 October 2004)
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THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE TO DEFEND SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC
ICDSM www.icdsm.org
Sofia-New York-Moscow
SLOBODA/FREEDOM ASSOCIATION - Member of the World Peace Council
www.sloboda.org.yu
Belgrade
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URGENT FUNDRAISING APPEAL
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After the Hague Tribunal declared war against human rights and
International Law by banning President Milosevic's right to self-defense,
our activities for his liberation and for the restoration of his freedom
and
for the national sovereignty of the Serbian people need to be reorganized
and intensified.
We need professional, legal work now more than ever. Thus, the creation of
conditions for that work is the imperative at this moment.
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The petition of 100 lawyers and law professors from 18 countries,
and other related activities of the ICDSM Legal Committee, produced a public
effect incomparable to any other previous action by the ICDSM.
President Milosevic has the truth and law on his side. In order to use that
advantage to achieve his freedom, we must fight this totally discredited
tribunal and its patrons through professionally conducted actions which
would involve the Bar Associations, the European Court, the UN organs in
charge and the media.
Our practice has shown that ad hoc voluntary work is not enough to deal
properly with these tasks. The funds secured in Serbia are still enough
only
to cover the expenses of the stay and work of President Milosevic's legal
associates at The Hague (one at the time). The funds secured by the German
section of the ICDSM (still the only one with regular contributions) are
enough only to cover minimal additional work at The Hague connected with
contacts and preparations of foreign witnesses. Everything else is lacking.
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3000-5000 EUR per month is our imminent need.
Our history and our people oblige us to go on with this necessary action.
But without these funds it will not be possible.
Please organize urgently the fundraising activity
and send the donations to the following ICDSM accounts:
Peter Betscher
Stadt- und Kreissparkasse Darmstadt, Germany
IBAN: DE 21 5085 0150 0102 1441 63
SWIFT-BIC: HELADEF1DAS
or
Vereinigung für Internationale Solidarität (VIS)
4000 Basel, Switzerland
PC 40-493646-5
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All of your donations will be used for legal and other necessary
accompanying
activities, on instruction or with the consent of President Milosevic. To
obtain
additional information on the use of your donations or to obtain additional
advice on the most efficient way to submit your donations or to make bank
transfers, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Peter Betscher (ICDSM Treasurer) E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone: +49 172 7566 014
Vladimir Krsljanin (ICDSM Secretary) E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone: +381 63 8862 301
The ICDSM and Sloboda need to address governments, international human
rights and legal organizations, and to launch legal proceedings. The ICDSM
plans
a legal conference at The Hague. Sloboda has just sent to the patriotic
factions in
the Serbian Parliament an initiative to adopt a parliamentary Resolution
against the human rights violations by the Hague Tribunal and to form an
international team of experts to make an extensive report on these
violations which would be submitted to the UN.
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For truth and human rights against aggression!
Freedom for Slobodan Milosevic!
Freedom and equality for people!
On behalf of Sloboda and ICDSM,
Vladimir Krsljanin,
Foreign Relations Assistant to President Milosevic
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To join or help this struggle, visit:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/ (Sloboda/Freedom association)
http://www.icdsm.org/ (the international committee to defend Slobodan
Milosevic)
http://www.free-slobo.de/ (German section of ICDSM)
http://www.icdsm-us.org/ (US section of ICDSM)
http://www.icdsmireland.org/ (ICDSM Ireland)
http://www.pasti.org/milodif.htm (ICDSM Italy)
http://www.wpc-in.org/ (world peace council)
http://www.geocities.com/b_antinato/ (Balkan antiNATO center)
Serbian News Network - SNN
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.antic.org/
