Subject: Letter from Emma Bonino (Secretary of Radical Party) to all the members of the International Law Co
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X-Comment: The Transnational Radical Party List
mmission Geneva - Switzerland, concerning the permanent international
Tribunal
Rome, Wednesday March 9th, 1994
Dear Sir,
In the course of 1993, the transnational Radical Party devoted a great
deal of its efforts and energy in favour of the campaign for the immediate
setting up of the international Tribunal for crimes committed in the former
Yugoslavia, as a first step for the establishment of the Permanent Penal
Court for crimes against humanity.
The former Tribunal, as you know, has already been instituted in The
Hague and its statute categorically excludes any recourse to the death
penalty.
As far as the Permanent Court is concerned, we must therefore see that
human rights and values are respected to the same degree. From the
information we were able to obtain, the timing seems to be that the
International Law Commission plans to adopt the draft statute of the
Permanent Court in the course of its 46th session taking place in Geneva in
May-July 1994. Subsequently, the ILC will forward the draft statute to the
General Assembly for its approval during the 49th Session in
September-December 1994.
With these dates in mind we have scheduled two nonviolent civil and
political events that will take place in the next weeks and months and that
intertwine with each other.
First, an international pressure campaign called "There can be no
Peace without Justice" that will also include hunger strikes as ultimate
means of dialogue and persuasion on Governments to establish the Permanent
Tribunal by the end of 1994. (see annexes)
For Easter day instead (April 3rd) we are organizing a march, in Rome,
to urge a universal moratorium of the executions and the creation of the
Permanent Penal Court.
On that day Catholics will celebrate Easter, resurrection day for a
man who, two thousand years ago, was sentenced to the capital punishment of
crucifixion. In connection with this circumstance - the most important of
the Catholic liturgy along with Christmas - the Pope traditionally delivers
a speech that is broadcasted worldwide in which he points out the
priorities that the human kind must address.
We have decided to bring to St.Peter's Square, the seat of the Vatican
State, thousands of people who are convinced, as we are, that the powerful
of the Earth must be urged to suspend executions in all Nations until a new
international law rules that States cannot dispose of the life of
individuals. Parliamentarians, Nobel Laureates, jurists, writers,
international human rights' organizations, from countries throughout the
world, will be marching with us at Easter.
One of the purposes of the moratorium on all executions, and their
immediate suspension, is to obtain the necessary time at a political level
to put into effect the legal and penal statutes of the ad hoc Tribunal for
the Former Yugoslavia and of the Permanent Court.
As a jurist you will fully appreciate the contradiction in terms
created by those countries adhering to the statutes of both international
tribunals that nonetheless wish to reserve themselves the right,
nationally, to carry out death sentences for crimes infinitely less heinous
and cruel than those committed, for example, in the Former Yugoslavia.
In account of the nature and of the objectives of this campaign I felt
it was of paramount importance for you, a member of the ILC, to be aware -
even rather in detail - of our motivations and reasons that go in the
direction of supporting UN efforts to restore international law whenever
and wherever possible.
Yours sincerely,
Emma Bonino
Secretary of the transnational Radical Party
Deputy Speaker of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
