TRANSNATIONAL FAX #31
Information bulletin on the campaigns of the Transnational Radical Party
Issue #31 February 10, 1999
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* Editor's Office: Mihai Romanciuc, Via di Torre Argentina 76, 00186 Rome (IT)
Tel : +39-06-689.791
Fax : +39-06-6880.5396
E-Mail: radical.party@agora.stm.it
URL : http://www.radicalparty.org
Telnet: agora.stm.it
* Printing and Distribution: Alberto Novi (BE)
* Published in English, Italian, French, Russian, and Spanish.
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In this issue:
- Kosovo: incrimination of Milosevic
- Macedonian: freed the Albanian politicians
Dear friends,
On February 1, we handed over the 100,000 signatures collected on the international appeal to indict Milosevic to the Office of the Prosecutor of the the Hague Tribunal (see articles below). On February 6, at Rambouillet, France, the Contact Group, chaired by France and the UK, opened the so-called peace talks on Kosovo. This conference will, once again, see Milosevic as a major player in the solution of the conflict that he triggered a year ago.
Since last Summer we have intensified our efforts to emphasize to decision-makers and the public that Milosevic himself is the problem, and there will never be peace in the Balkans until Milosevic is not brought to justice for the criminal acts he has ordered in the former Yugoslavia. The presentation of the first 100,000 signatures on our petition must be followed up by other initiatives. The campaign is not over, the appeal can still be signed on our website (www.radicalparty.org).
To strengthen our political campaign, we are also planning other initiatives to demonstrate the violations of International Humanitarian Law in Kosovo and the applicability of the the Hague Tribunal's jurisdiction in the region. We will keep you informed.
We don't want another Dayton, we shall learn the lesson of Bosnia; we must stop Milosevic before it's too late. Sign our petition now!
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THE RADICAL PARTY HANDS OVER THE FIRST 100.000 SIGNATURES FOR THE INDICTMENT OF MILOSEVIC TO THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR FORMER YUGOSLAVIA.
THE DEPUTY PROSECUTOR OF THE TRIBUNAL ASKS THE RADICAL PARTY TO PUT PRESSURE ON STATES TO HANDS OVER TO THE TRIBUNAL THE EVIDENCES BEING IN THEIR POSSESSION.
The Hague-Rome, 1 February 1999. A delegation of the Radical Party led by the Party's Secretary General, Olivier Dupuis, MEP, and composed Marino Busdachin, Paolo Pietrosanti, Mariano Giustino, Afrim Gjonpalaj and Paolo Atzori, have handed over today to the Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia, Mr. Graham Blewitt, more than 100.000 signatures of citizens and personalities of culture and politics for the immediate indictment of Yugoslav President Milosevic for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Among the 100.000 signatures there are over one thousand parliamentarians and VIPs, who have supported the appeal of the Radical Party, including Italian Interior Minister Rosa Russo Jervolino, Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko, former Prime Ministers Michel Rocard, Wilfried Martens, Leo Tindemans, eurodeputies Otto von Habsburg, Antoinette Spaak, Nobel Prize winner John Polany, Marco Pannella, actresses Isabelle Adjani and Bianca Jagger, writers AndrT Gluksmann, Nino Manfredi, Milva, Vladimir Bukovskij, Ismail KadarT.
While receiving the delegation of the Radical Party, the Deputy Prosecutor Blewitt has invited them in front of the present journalists to "put pressure on States which possess evidence needed by the Tribunal, to fully collaborate with the International Criminal Tribunal."
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DECLARATION OF MR. BLEWITT, DEPUTY PROSECUTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL
The Hague, 1 February 1999
The deputy prosecutor Mr Graham Blewitt thanked the delegation from the European Parliament for their interest in the Tribunal and for recognizing that the Tribunal can render justice.
Mr. Blewitt then made the following statement:
In receiving this petition today, it should not be understood that this represents a departure from the Prosecutor's normal policy about commenting on the nature or extent or even the existence of any particular investigation which may or may not exist within the Prosecutor's Office.
Having said that, indictments will only be issued by the Prosecutor when there is sufficient admissible evidence available to the Prosecutor to establish the guilt of the accused. Media reports, petitions and speculations do not amount to such evidence.
I think that it is appropriate for me to say to the representatives of the European Parliament, who are presenting this petition today, that you can assist the Tribunal more by being very active in urging those States which hold relevant evidence to cooperate fully with the Prosecutor's Office in the investigation of crimes falling within the Tribunal Jurisdiction.
Without admissible evidence it will not be possible to bring the appropriate indictments.
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MACEDONIA: LIBERATION OF THE MAYORS OF GOSTIVAR AND TETOVO.
On 7 February, 1999. The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Kiro Gligorov, signed the amnesty law adopted by the Macedonian Parliament at the end of December, freeing four political leaders of the Albanian minority in Macedonia; the prisoners were Mr. Osmani, Mr. Demiri, Mr. Besheti and Mr. Dauti.
At its December plenary session the European Parliament adopted, by an overwhelming majority, an urgent resolution urging the Macedonian authorities to face the issue of the imprisonment of the Mayors and Chairmen of the Municipalities of of Tetovo and Gostivar.
On the occasion of the liberation Olivier Dupuis, Secretary General of the Transnational Radical Party and Member of European Parliament, said that " President Gligorov's signature on the amnesty law adopted some weeks ago by the Macedonain Parliament in favour of the Mayors and political leaders of the Albanian minority in Macedonia, Mr. Osmani, Mr. Demiri, Mr. Besheti and Mr. Dauti, is a good news for the leaders of the PDA and all members of the Transnational Radical Party, but also for the whole Macedonian population that therefore sees the materialization of the will expressed by the new governmental majority to pragmatically confront, and without taboos, the issue of inter-ethnic coexistence. It is now up to the European Union to show the same pragmatism in proceeding without delay towards the reinforcement of its relations with the Republic of Macedonia, starting from a clear explanation of the membership procedures"
