PRESS RELEASE

Kiev, May 27, 1994

Five days ago in Stepanakert captain Yuri Belechenko, the military pilot of Azerbaijanian Air Forces and Ukrainian citizen, was sentenced to death. He is accused of perpetration of war crimes, in particularly, bombardments of several villages in Mardakert region of Azerbaijan, which entailed victims among civilians.

Fighting consistently for the abolishing of death penalty in the world before year 2000 and carrying out a campaign "No peace without justice", that is aimed to the immediate foundation of the permanent international tribunal on war crimes, we consider that crimes like mentioned one of Yuri Belechenko is accused of, must be judged by the international criminal institution with a sovranational jurisdiction, not by the judicial authorities of Armenia, Azerbaijan or any third country.

Proceeding from mentioned above, on Friday, May 27, members of Radical Party have submitted letters to the President of Armenia Mr. Levon Ter-Petrosian by means of Armenian embassy in Ukraine and to the President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk with an appeal:

- to use all your influence to obtain an abolition of death penalty of Yuri Belechenko;

- to take, as leaders of states members of UN, all necessary measures in order to obtain the foundation of the permanent international tribunal on war crimes by the UN General Assembly during its next session (September - December 1994).