Subject: [co] Urgent help needed! CO imprisoned in Serbia (fwd)
Dear Friends,
We have just received this message from Bojan Aleksov (Women in Black, Belgrade) and are forwarding it to all the members of our CO Alert List -- with our apologies to those of you who have already received the message directly from Bojan.
Please let us at WRI also know of actions you will be organising about this case. Thank you very much in advance.
Greetings,
Dominique Saillard
-------------------------------------------
ALERT!
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR IMPRISONED IN BELGRADE!
Pavle Bozic, religious objector from a village near Belgrade was sentenced on February 23. by Army court in Belgrade to one year of prison for his objection to the service in the military institution. He had already spent 9 months in prison in 1993. for the same charges and that is disobedience to military orders (article 201. 1 of the Penal code) He has been called up in September 1997 when he applied for the status of conscientious objector and for the right to civil service both provided by the Constitution and The Army Law of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (article 137 of the Constitution and articles 296-300 of the Army Law).
On October 30th. 1997 The Command of the Military Department of Sremska Mitrovica issued its approval for his civil service outside of military sector. On November 20th military authorities called him by phone and offered to fulfill his two-year civil service in Karadjordjevo, an army estate and training ground which he immediately refused as his conscience would not permit him to be a part of the military structures. Few days later he was arrested by civil police and taken to military barracks in Ruma and then to Karadjordjevo. The same colonel Savo Mrdjan who authorized his civil service signed the arrest warrant.
When in Karadjordjevo, he refused to be treated as a soldier and was imprisoned for disobedience of the army authorities. Pavle wrote to the Federal Ministry of Defence which soon answered that they understood his case and that they would inquire about it in MD Sremska Mitrovica.
As Pavle's case could not be solved even in such a way, on his own initiative he was taken to Military court in Belgrade where he expected his rights to be confirmed.
On the contrary he was accused and condemned for the disobedience of the army authorities. Pavle did not want to make an appeal and refused to sign the verdict as he resisted being treated as a soldier who disobeyed the orders.
Now we, conscientious objection activists are trying to renew the whole case and get Pavle out of prison. For this we need your help.
This is the last of the numerous cases where all the rights of conscientious objectors have been neglected. The Constitution and The Army Law remain dead letter on the paper. Military courts and authorities in FRY deliberately violate their own laws and continue to imprison and discriminate objectors. According to them legal provisions for civil service is only possibility, which they don't need to imply as it is not in their interest.
HELP PAVLE!
Family Bocic (Tel 381 22 351 962)
Pavla èasica 101
Stari Banovci 22 305
write letters of protest to:
Slobodan Milosevic, President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Palata Federacije
Bulevar Lenjina 2
Beograd
Momcilo Perisic, Army General in Chief
Generalstab Vojske Jugoslavije
Kneza Milosa 37
Beograd
Pavle Bulatovic, Minister of Defence
Savezno Ministarstvo Odbrane
Kneza Milosa 37
Beograd
Zoran Knecevic, Minister of Justice
Savezno Ministarstvo Pravde
Bulevar Lenjina 2
Beograd
Milomir Minic, President of Chamber of Citizens
Savezna SkupÜtina
Bulevar Revolucije
Beograd
Ratko Korlat (judge)
Vojni sud (Army court)
Ustanicka 29
Beograd
For all other information contact:
Bojan Aleksov, Women in Black
fax n. 381 11 623 225
or e-mail stasazen@eunet.yu
also give us suggestions for our actions for Pavle's release
Bojan
_____________________________________________________________
Conscientious Objectors List
****************************
Subscribe:
email majordomo@kaapeli.fi
with the message SUBSCRIBE CO-LIST
* Forum for international discussions
* Channel of information between different organzations and individuals
* Increase contacts between organizations in different nations
