We have reached the seventh issue of "Transnational." Maybe not all of us believed that we would succeed in maintaining the demanding twice-monthly commitment we had set ourselves.

But we did, and we have also expanded the newsletter. "Transnational" was never intended to be an actual newspaper but a means of communicating information, news and, above all, instruments for civilian and parliamentary action. Readers will receive this end-of-July newsletter just before the great majority of parliaments recess. And as "Transnational" is, first and foremost, an informative instrument for promoting and reporting on parliamentary actions - whether they are undertaken by parliamentarians, or by citizens who address themselves to parliamentary institutions - created by the transnational party known as the Radical Party,it is fitting that we take this opportunity to review what we have achieved so far.

The next issue will not adhere to the usual deadline but will be received by our readers just before national parliaments resume, and immediately prior to the next meeting of the General Council of the Radical Party.

This choice is also influenced by the need to carefully manage the Radical Party's few financial resources. Unfortunately, they are dwindling once again.

The initial results can certainly be termed positive to a fair degree.

"Transnational" has been edited during this period by Paolo Pietrosanti, assisted by Luca Frassineti, Silvja Manzi, and Simone Zaccagnini. Gianni Betto and Daniela Cacace have been in charge of mailing. Each issue has been translated into 10 languages (French, Spanish, English, Russian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, and Hungarian; it could soon be translated into other languages), while 30 people from Radical Party offices throughout the world - Rome, Brussels, Zagreb, Budapest, Bucarest, Tirana, Moscow, Kiev, New York, Sofia, and Madrid - have contributed to its publication.

It costs approximately US$ 5,000 to publish each issue of "Transnational."

At the present time, the newsletter is sent to more than 25,000 readers in 49 countries.

We would also like to emphasize that it is often only possible to do all this because of the all-out effort made by many Radical comrades.

In this issue we are publishing, along with other news, the motion approved at the meeting that has just been held by our Muscovite Radical comrades. It is an important document in that it underscores the coherence of the Radical Party's activities that continue to follow the direction indicated by the main objectives laid down in the Sofia Motion. This meeting provided the first opportunity for the members of the General Council to meet with the most milititant activists in the former Soviet Union, after our comrade Andrea Tamburi was killed.

The extreme seriousness and profound commitment shown in recent months by the Radicals who operate in the former Soviet Union, are the best reminder and recognition of the work done by Andrea in that difficult situation.

It gives us great pleasure to point out that part of the Motion was swiftly made redundant by events. The ad hoc Tribunal for crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia is finally in a position to do its work and to proceed with criminal trials as laid down by its Statute. The U.N. Security Council has, in fact, ratified and rendered executive the appointment of Richard J. Goldstone, a South African, as Chief Prosecutor of the Tribunal. This body, which is the first institution with supranational jurisdiction, can now operate with full powers to uphold the law against acts of cruelty and to affirm the need for adequate, binding laws in a world that is becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent.

THE MORATORIUM ON EXECUTIONS FOR U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

On Wednesday, 20 July, the campaign for the moratorium on executions - one of the objectives established by the Sofia Motion - took an extremely important step forward. The Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament unanimously approved the Motion - published in the first issue of "Transnational" - that engages the Italian Government to present a resolution before 20 August, in order that it may be discussed at the September Session of the U.N. General Assembly.

The Motion approved in Italy has Emma Bonino, Secretary of the Radical Party, as its first signatory, and we would like to remind you that it was signed by more than one hundred deputies.

AN INTERNATIONAL COURT BY 1995

The 49th Session of the U.N. General Assembly, which opens on 20 September, will include the International Court for crimes against humanity on its agenda. The International Law Commission, a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly, will submit the draft State before 22 July.

It is important to remember that it will be discussed by the Sixth Committee of the G.A., inasmuch as the plenary session is reserved for speeches made by Foreign Ministers on themes of general interest to the U.N. and to the formal adoption of resolutions only. The Italian Government, in accordance with the contratto di maggioranza (majority agreement) signed by the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Marco Pannella, has undertaken to charge Emma Bonino, Secretary of the Radical Party, with communicating Italian policy at the G.A. meetings on this subject.

The ambitious goal that the Radical Party has set itself, and which it will be committed to achieving in the following months, is that of obtaining, during the 49th Session, the approval of a Resolution summoningan International Conference, under the auspices of the U.N., for the institution of the International Court: before the end of 1995, the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations.

This is the first crucial step that must be taken in order to create real international jurisdiction: one of the objectives established by the Motion approved by the General Council of the Radical Party in July 1993, and also one of the goals of the "There's No Justice without Peace" Committee composed of parliamentarians, mayors and citizens who are campaigning for a new law of nations.

AD HOC TRIBUNAL FOR EX-YUGOSLAVIA CHIEF PROSECUTOR FINALLY APPOINTED

It took the U.N. Security Council more than a year to appoint the Chief Prosecutor for the International Tribunal for war crimes committed in the territory of the Ex-Yugoslavia. He is a South African, Richard J. Goldstone, a Supreme Court Judge who in the past was engaged in investigating acts of violence and violations of human rights in his country, when it was torn apart by racism. Now the Tribunal, composed of eleven judges and presided over by Italian Chief Judge Antonio Cassese, can finally begin its work.

The Radical Party Campaign and the intervention of the Italian Government - in accordance with the majority agreement between the Pannella List-Reformers and the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi - were all-important to the appointment of the Chief Prosecutor during the bilateral meetings of the G7.

Chief Prosecutor Goldstone's first task will be to analyse the cases of documents that comprise the report drawn up by the Committee of Experts, chaired by Prof. Bassiouni, member of the Radical Party, who has investigated the crimes committed in the Ex-Yugoslavia. The data on the atrocities that emerges from the report is shocking: 200/250,000 people killed, about 50,000 individuals tortured, 20,000 women raped, 715 detention and concentration camps, and over 150 mass graves.

The institution of the ad hoc Tribunal for the Ex-Yugoslavia is the first step towards the institution of the U.N. Permanent International Court that has been in the planning stage for over ten years. Setting up such a Tribunal allows us to start proceedings against war criminals, and supplies us with an instrument for enforcing the conventions on human rights.

While being interviewed by an Italian newspaper Emma Bonino, Secretary of the Radical Party, made the following statement: "Now we have broken the deadlock. And the Tribunal, which is an international instrument for seeing that justice is done and for ensuring that those rights that have been so flagrantly violated are reinstated, can finally start to function. One must not forget that the Tribunal for crimes committed in the Ex-Yugoslavia is the first to be instituted after those of Nuremberg and Tokyo. This time, however, it is not a question of affirming justice the way the victors see it but true justice and international law, starting with the Geneva Convention on genocide.

Now, we must relaunch the campaign for the institution of the Permanent International Court. There are tons of conventions on human rights and the environment, but there is a lack of instruments for enforcing them and verifying that they are being respected.

The Italian Government should also promote a resolution at the U.N. General Assembly for the institution of the Tribunal."

EXTENDED MEETING OF THE GENERAL COUNCILOF THE RADICAL PARTY, FOR THE CIS AND THE BALTIC STATES

(Moscow, 9 July 1994). On 8 & 9 July an extended meeting of the General Council of the Radical Party, for the CIS and the Baltic States, was held in the Parliamentarians Center of the Russian Federation in Moscow.

The meeting was attended by: Ottavio Lavaggi, Treasurer of the Radical Party; Olivier Dupuis, President of the General Council; Antonio Stango, member of the Secretariat and Chief Coordinator of Radical activities in the CIS and in the Baltic States; Mamuka Tsagareli, Vice President of the General Council; Jokubas Minkevicius, member of the Lithuanian Academy; Lev Razgon, Russian author and former political prisoner under the Stalin regime; Arif Ragim-Zade, member of the Azerbaijan Parliament and member of the Radical Party; Valentin Oskotskij, Russian author and member of President Yeltsin's Committee for Pardon. Members of the General Council included: Nikolaj Khramov (Russia), Fedor Chub (Russia), Samvel Shaginjan (Armenia), Sergej Sheboldaev (Russia). Many Radical activists hailing from different cities and countries also attended.

Reporters from the press agency Interfax, the Moskovskij Komsomolets newspaper, and Russian TV, were present at the meeting, which was reported on "Vesti", a news programme broadcast by Russian TV.

We are publishing below the complete text of the final document drawn up at the end of the proceedings.

FINAL DOCUMENT OF THE EXTENDED MEETING OFTHE GENERAL COUNCIL, FOR THE CIS AND THE BALTIC STATES

(Moscow, 8 & 9 July 1994)

The extended Meeting of the members of the General Council of the Radical Party, for the CIS and the Baltic States, held in Moscow on 8 & 9 July, emphasises the fundamental importance of the subjects discussed.

A. The Meeting is firmly convinced that the death penalty is not only a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights (a right to life being the most important of all) but also a threat to the rule of law, on which the foundation process of post-totalitarian societies is based. The issue of the death penalty is of great importance and is central to the revision process of the Constitutions of many former Soviet Union Republics.

Consequently, the Meeting draws attention to the positive experience of the Georgian Parliament, where the Constitutional Committee has included the article on the abolition of the death penalty in the draft Constitution now ready for discussion. The Meeting calls on members of the Radical Party, members of national parliaments and of the executive organs of the Radical Party to plan, during the coming months, a campaign aimed at maintaining this particular article in the draft Constitution of Georgia.

Furthermore, this extended Meeting engages itself to sustain and to give added impetus to the campaigns already launched against the death penalty in Moldavia, seeing as that Parliament will also be discussing a new Constitution this year.

It is also necessary to study the analogous situation in Armenia. The Armenian Constitutional project includes a special article on the inviolability of human life, which can be interpreted in an abolitionist sense and which, therefore, could be used as a departure point for an abolitionist campaign.

The meeting deems it necessary to underscore the obvious danger involved in discussing the new penal code in Ukraine this coming Autumn, given that the draft code tends to extend the application of the death penalty rather than limit it to a minimum number of crimes. Apropos of this the extended Meeting calls on members to promote an appropriate transnational initiative in the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine.

The same applies to the Russian situation, and the extended Meeting emphasises the need to concentrate on obtaining a permanent moratorium on the death penalty, seeing that a moratorium has already been imposed by President Yeltsin. It is an opportunity to promote an appeal by well-known personalities from the world of politics, science and culture for presentation to President Yeltsin and the Russian Federal Assembly, which requests a permanent moratorium and the de jure abolition of the death penalty in the next few years.

Furthermore, the Meeting turns its attention to the importance of the effort that has to be made at the level of international organizations to enforce the universal moratorium on the death penalty. In relation to this, it is necessary to support abroad the initiative of the Italian Government that has asked for the moratorium be put on the agenda and discussed at the next Session of the U.N. General Assembly. It is also essential to promote the adoption of appropriate resolutions in those parliaments where there are members or supporters of the Radical Party.

B. In the same way that obstacles impeding the institution of the International Tribunal for war crimes committed in the Ex-Yugoslavia were overcome, the Meeting launches an appeal for action - especially by collaborating with the Member States of the U.N. Security Council - so that the numerous attempts to prevent the Tribunal from beginning its work efficiently (the most recent being the delay in appointing the Chief Prosecutor without whom the Tribunal cannot function) might be successfully thwarted. Concerning this, a transnational mobilization is necessary to bring about the appointment of the Chief Prosecutor by the U.N. Security Council as soon as possible.

There is also an absolute necessity to organize actions urging the Tribunal for crimes committed in the Ex-Yugoslavia not only to investigate criminal acts perpetrated by individuals but also to bring to justice the politicians responsible for organizing the "ethnic cleansing".

C. Regarding the Permanent Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Meeting would like to express its satisfaction concerning recent news from Geneva regarding the work of the International Law Commission that will soon finish drafting the Statute of the Permanent International Court. If this news is confirmed in the immediate future it will mean that the U.N. General Assembly will have the possibility - at least in theory - of discussing and adopting the Statute during its Autumn Session. This implies that in a short space of time Radical Party members will have to mount campaigns to pressure the governments of their countries, requesting that the appropriate documents be adopted in the parliaments, so that the General Assembly will have a real possibility of discussing and adopting the Statute of the Permanent International Court before the end of this year; and also of instituting this Court by 1995, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

The Meeting turns its attention to the necessity of coordinating the efforts of the various social groups and individuals engaged in bringing about the constitution of a supranational legal institution, namely, the Permanent International Court, and suggests promoting a membership campaign for the International Committee "There's No Peace Without Justice", formed this spring, which parliamentarians, mayors, writers, scientists and citizens of the CIS and Baltic States can also join.

D. The public Meeting draws attention to the fact that the Russian Federation is the only Republic of the former Soviet Union, where the right to conscientious objection still does not exist. The meeting considers the necessity of relaunching the campaign aimed at having the State Duma adopt a law providing for alternative civilian service.

Moreover, it is necessary to reopen the debate on anti-militarism, pacifism and nonviolence, and to discuss the possibilties of collaborating with all anti-militarist groups; in particular, after the fall of the Berlin Wall and and the bipolar division between East and West having ceased to exist, peace movements and groups are in a state of crisis, while it is also necessary, without any shadow of doubt, to create a strong anti-militarist front, especially in consideration of the miltiary threat and the resurgence of fascism and naziism in former totalitarian regimes.

E. The Meeting deems it necessary to ensure the Radical Party's continuing commitment to the campaign for a new clean energy policy. It is particularly necessary to deal urgently with questions concerning the closure of dangerous nuclear power stations in the countries of the former Soviet Union; the consequences of possible accidents, and security measures applied to the storage of radioactive waste. Concerning this, it is extremely worrying that the Ukraine Government has refused to shut down Chernobyl, despite strong international pressure. It is also necessary that international organizations for the environment to pay particular attention to the document prepared by the Committee for Environmental Problems and Natural Rescources of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Armenia that recommends that the Armenian nuclear reactors once again become functional; and also to the development of alternative energy sources in Armenia.

F. The Meeting expresses its concern regarding the situation of the rights of populations without a right to citizenship in Latvia and Estonia, and urges the Radical Party to hold a conference on this matter, at Riga, before the coming Autumn.

G. The Meeting has noted the dearth of members from the CIS and the Baltic States and calls on all members of the Radical Party to devote more energy to enrolling new members in their own countries.

Apart from the newsletter "Transnational" - important in that it is the sole means of communication and information available, owing to the under-developed and inaccessible computer networks and the lack of an instrument like Radical Radio - which has been sent out since April of this year, the extended Meeting proposes that the membership campaign also include a series of open Meetings held by the Radical Party in the coming months, with the aim of increasing the number of members in the Republics of the former Soviet Union.

H. The Meeting considers it necessary to strengthen the communication of Radical Party activities, with the support of the mass media in the CIS and Baltic States.

BULGARIA: PUBLIC MEETING HELD BY RADICAL PARTY

On 9 July, an open meeting organized by Kolio Paramov, General Councillor and Bulgarian Deputy, was held in Zlatograd by the Radical Party.Various topics were discussed, with particular importance being given to federalism and the significant role to be played by transnational Radicals in promoting the integration of the countries of the East with Europe.

Ten of the people who attended joined the Radical Party, including Mayor Profirov of Ermareka, and Mayor Menderes of Benkovski.

FREEDOM FOR FRANCISCO!

In the last couple of days we received - thanks to Agorà Telematica - the first response to the appeal launched for the liberation of Francisco Chiaviano Gonzales, a political prisoner in Cuba. We are publishing it here, and appeal toyou to participate inthis campaign.

"The Radical Group of Dnepropetrovsk asks the world to intervene on behalf of the President of the National Council for Civil Rights Francisco Chaviano Gonzales, who was unlawfully arrested on 7 May 1994 by the Cuban Secret Police.

Our Group agrees with Amnesty International in their declaring Francisco a "prisoner of conscience."

We must organize a campaign with the slogan "Freedom for Francisco!" It would also be the right moment to inform the world comunity of the shocking violations of human rights in Cuba.

We call on everyone to organize demonstrations outside the Cuban embassies in their own countries; to collect signatures on a petition adressed to the Cuban Government, and to deliver it to the Ambassador in question.

We repeat that we are totally against political persecution, whether inflicted by a criminal dictator or by individuals, wherever this may occur."

Gennadi Sakharov (Radio Liberty reporter and member of the Radical Party), Jim Mikhajlov (Green Peace and Radical Party activist), Sergei Tikhonov (doctor and member of the Radical Party), Marina Fokina (Green Peace and Radical Party activist), Arthur Fredekind, (journalist and member of the Radical Party, and Inna Fredekind (member of the Radical Party)

CROATIA: SIGNATORIES OF THE RADICAL MOTION

Zagreb - The parliamentary motion proposed by the Radical Party for the institution of the Permanent International Court has been signed by a number of people.

It must be emphasised that for more than a month the main opposition groups (Liberals, Istrian Diet, Popular Party, Former Communist Party, Agricultural Workers' Party) have not participated in parliamentary proceedings and various motions proposed by the majority party have been rendered invalid because the necessary quorum has not been reached.

It is very difficult, in these conditions, to obtain the necessary attention for the motion we are proposing.

However, the signatories are as follows:

Croat Democratic Community (HDZ): Muhamed ZULIC, Milivoj KUJUNDZIC;

Party for Democratic Change (SDP): Zdravko TOMAC;

Democratic Istrian Diet (IDS): Ivan PAULETTA;

Croat Liberal Socialist Party (HSLS): Tereza GANZA-ARAS, Vilim HERMAN, Zltako KRAMARIC (Major of Osiejk);

Independents: Zivko JUZBASIC

PERMANENT INTERNATIONAL COURT

RUSSIAN DEPUTY VIKTOR SHEJNIS WRITES TO EMMA BONINO

Deputy elected to the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly, Victor Shejnis, member of the Javlinskj-Boldyrev-Lukin Parliamentary Group, has sent the following letter to the Secretary of the Radical Party Emma Bonino:

"The problems mentioned in your letter of 9 June are of major importance. The primary objective pursued by the "There's No Peace Without Justice" Committee is a noble one, of vital significance.

I hope that we will be able to work together and obtain results.

Yours sincerely."