November 24, 1998 - Number 27
in this issue:
- the Assassination of Galina Starovojtova;
- Milosevic Indictment Campaign;
- ICC: Strasburg declaration;
- EP: resolutions on ICC and Serbia.
GALINA STAROVOJTOVA, SUPPORTER OF MANY RADICAL INITIATIVES, AND MEMBER OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE RUSSIAN ANTIMILITARIST RADICAL ASSOCIATION IS KILLED FOR HER LIBERAL IDEAS AND HER FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.
Moscow, November 21, 1998. Last night, liberal Russian politician, and long time supporter of the Radical Party, Galina Starovojtova has been assassinated; Ruslan Linkov, her assistant, is badly wounded. TRP Secretary Dupuis in expressing his condolences, stressed Starovojtova's role in the effort of building a Russia of hope vis a vis a Russia of Barbarity. Mr. Dupuis stated that today in Russia the political struggle consists in the physical elimination of freedom advocates. TRP Secretary also remembered the continuous support that Ms. Starovojtova gave to TRP initiatives on various issues, from the abolition of the death penalty to antiprohibitionist policies on drugs, from freedom for Tibet and democracy in China to the creation of a permanent international criminal court and the campaign to indict Slobodan Milosevic.
Nikolaj Khramov, TRP Coordinator for Russia, said that for the first time in Russia a politician of such a level has been killed, he also added "She was a unique politician, one of the few who, in today's Russia, are not involved into any Mafia-related activities. Galina did her best to achieve in the Russian Federation the affirmation of the principles of freedom, democracy, the Rule of Law and the principle of a life of rights and the right to life. This radical political commitment cost her life."
Galina Starovojtova was not only one of the most popular liberal and democratic politicians in Russia, she was also member of the General Council of the Antimilitarist Radical Association and one of the few friends of the Radical Party's in the State Duma. Galina was among the five members of the Russian parliament, who this autumn found the courage to openly join TRP international campaign for the indictment of the Serbian dictator.
Statements and other news can be found on our website: www.radicalparty.org
----------------------------------------------------------
EFFORTS TO INDICT MILOSEVIC INCREASE IN EUROPE AND THE US
After the endorsement of Albanian Prime Minister, the campaign for the indictment of Milosevic by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has reached the Balkans. In Albania tablings at the University have collected almost 20,000 signatures of students, teachers and citizens; now after the election in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia the campaign will be one of the priorities of the Albanian community that constitutes 30% of the Country's population. In New York City, thanks to the strong support of the Albanian American Civil League, over 2,500 signatures have been collected so far among the Tri-State Area. The internet is also demonstrating its potential, but we need to do more. Our goal is to reach at least 100,000 signatures by the end of the year. As of today we have collected over 70,000; in order to achieve this objective we need your support and active participation. You can download the petition in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Albanian and Croat from our
special webpage at www.radicalparty.org and circulate it among people you know.
-----------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH OF THE ICC RATIFICATION CAMPAIGN.
Strasbourg, at the European Parliament, during the Pan-European NGO Forum promoted by No Peace Without Justice and the Transnational Radical Party, the international campaign to ratify the Rome Treaty on the International Criminal Court was launched. Parliamentarians from all over Europe, NGOs, and human rights activists gathered to express their support to the ratification process of the Rome Treaty. At the end of the 2-day event a declaration was adopted. What follows is an abstract of the document:
We citizens, parliamentarians and NGO members [...] call on all countries, and on the EU Member States and the Members of the Council of Europe as a matter of urgency:
- where they have not signed the Rome agreement, to do so by the end of 1998, thus recognizing the jurisdiction of the court from the outset;
- to make the signature and the ratification of the Rome agreement a priority in their international relations;
- not to resort to the 'opt-out' clause (Article 124) for war crimes;
- to make every effort within each of the relevant bodies to ensure that the preparatory commission is in place as soon as possible and is able to hold a sufficient number of meetings to allow it to complete the remaining technical tasks and drawn up the Court's rules of procedure and criteria for proof by 30 June 2000;
- to make every effort to convince those countries which have not acceded to the court's statutes to agree to accept its binding jurisdiction.
The declaration concludes inviting citizens from all over the world to support the initiative of the Radical Party for the indictment of Slobodan Milosevic before the ICTY, and to sign the appeal already endorsed by 70.000 citizens, including 500 parliamentarians from all over the world.
For the full version of the declaration check out: www.radicalparty.org.
-----------------------------------------------------------
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT URGES EU MEMBERS STATES TO DO THEIR UTMOST TO SPEED UP THE ENTRY INTO OPERATION OF THE PERMANENT COURT
Under the initiative of Gianfranco Dell'Alba coordinator of the EP inter-group Amici Curiae and member of the Radical Party, and Olivier Dupuis TRP Secretary, the EP adopted a resolution urging the prompt ratification of the ICC Rome Treaty by EU Member States. In particular the motion calls on:
- all countries, and on the EU Member States as a matter of urgency, where they have not yet signed the Rome agreement, to do so by the end of 1998, thus recognizing the jurisdiction of the court from the outset;
- the Council and Commission to make the signature and ratification of the Rome agreement a priority in their relations with third countries;
- those Member States which have already signed the Rome agreement to ratify it as soon as possible, so as to enable the court to commence its activities no later than 31 December 2000;
- the Council, the Commission, the EU Member States and the Council of Europe to take every effort to convince those countries which have not acceded to the court's statutes to agree to accept its binding jurisdiction.
The resolution also asks Member States not to resort to the 'opt-out' clause (Article 124). The complete document can be downloaded in English, French, Italian and Spanish at: www.radicalparty.org.
-----------------------------------------------------------
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE FRY IS A PRIORITY ISSUE FOR THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
At the Strasbourg session, the European Parliament adopted other resolutions on which MEPs members of the Radical Party concentrated their lobby. In particular freedom of expression in Serbia was debated as an issue of international interest. The EP stressed that the situation of media in South East Europe is considered increasingly crucial for the consolidation of democracy, the development of civil society and the implementation of the Dayton accord. EuroDeputies also urged President Milosevic to put an end to his attacks against the free and independent media in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and to withdraw the law on public information. The resolutions can be found at our website, www.radicalparty.org.
For more information browse our website or email us at: radical.party@agora.stm.it. Join TRP or pledge a contribution to one of its initiatives. Write us or email us to know more.
