Subject: Freedom fight in the Hague (11)
Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 22:40:49 +0200
From: "Vladimir Krsljanin"
FREEDOM ASSOCIATION SPECIAL BULLETIN
No.11
June 03, 2002
Runaway Witness
At the trial of Slobodan Milosevic in The Hague
"tribunal", this day is going to be remembered for
the fact that one of the witnesses to the
Prosecution literally ran away from the courtroom.
Although announced as a protected witness with a
codename K-12, which means complete protection of
his identity was secured, this witness decided to
quit testifying after the very first introductory
questions of the prosecution. All participants to
the process got quite confused, even judge May's
assurances every protection was guaranteed meant
nothing to the witness. The prosecutor finally was
left with nothing more than asking judge May to let
him talk once again with the "disobedient" witness
during the break, in order to eventually persuade
him to testify on some other occasion.
The case with witness K-12 has contributed to the
general bleak picture of the trial. Every new day of
the trial makes clearer that the "indictment" was
fabricated to mistify the reality of events in
Kosovo and Metohia and all over the former
Yugoslavia, i.e. to justify the aggressive policy of
the West - of America before everybody else.
Fred Abrahams of "Human Rights Watch"
(HRW) organization, testified today. Despite the
refusal of the strong appeal of President Milosevic
against his testimony, the credibility of
this "witness" was really put on test today, since
he's a man who unequivocally took part in the
writing of the indictment. As Milosevic has put it
during the cross-examination of this witness, the
prosecution is taking the role of witness, and
judging from their behavior so far, they would like
to take over the role of judge as well.
Since this witness was "researching" the situation
in Kosovo and Metohia from the point of view of
humanitarian law and accused in that respect Serbia
and FR Yugoslavia and their leaderships, Milosevic
asked him whether he considered the bombardment of
civilians targets (like the city of Aleksinac) or
the use of cluster bombs and depleted uranium as
legal actions under that very humanitarian law. No
matter he was cornered by such undisputed facts,
Abrahams tried making stories that such deeds under
certain circumstances should be considered as
crimes, and under some others they should not. He
gave similar answers to questions related to UCK
terrorist crimes, after he had to admit they
actually happened, but he would still afterwards
engage in explaining those crimes as reactions to an
alleged police repression.
That Fred Abrahams's testimony was fabricated with
some aims defined in advance, become completelly
clear in the cross-examination by Milosevic. For
instance, this witness gave his first statement to
the prosecution in March 1999, while the
"indictment", in preparation of
which he participated was raised only in May.
Beside, he worked for the Soros Foundation as
contracted writer of a book on the transition in
Albania. As for the HRW activities, the organization
the witness is currently working for, he tried to
prove it gets its financing exclusively from
donations, foundations and humanitarian
manifestations, and that no one could exert any
influence on their research and conclusions.
However, from his answers resulted quite the
opposite. It appears that in his editorial, which
appeared in the International Herald Tribune on
August 5, 1998, Abrahams came out with the
recommendation that the first thing America should
do towards Yugoslavia was to indict Slobodan
Milosevic. When asked on how visionary had he been
just two months before Richard Holbrook signed with
Milosevic the agreement on the Kosovo Verification
Mission, the witness in a rather unconvinced way
replied that such recommendation then had been his
personal opinion.
To join or help this struggle, visit:
http://www.sps.org.yu/ (official SPS website)
http://www.belgrade-forum.org/ (forum for the world of
equals)
http://www.icdsm.org/ (the international committee to defend
Slobodan Milosevic)
http://www.jutarnje.co.yu/ ('morning news' the only Serbian
newspaper advocating liberation)
===*===
----- Original Message -----
From: Artel
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 7:03 PM
Subject: New text on ARTEL GEOPOLITIKA- Statement of The
Belgrade Forum regarding Milosevic Trial
ARTEL GEOPOLITIKA by www.artel.co.yu
office@...
THE BELGRADE FORUM FOR THE WORLD OF EQUALS:
STATEMENT REGARDING MILOSEVIC TRIAL
Acting President of the Forum
Vladislav Jovanovic
Done in Belgrade on 10 June 2002
Recalling its statement of 14 May 2002, the Forum remains
deeply concerned about the conduct of the trial of Mr.
Slobodan Milosevic before the International Criminal Tribunal
for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague.
The Forum is concerned about the Tribunal's acceptance of Mr.
Fred Abrahams of the Human Rights Watch as a witness, in
spite of the fact that he was previously employed by the
Office of the Prosecutor in this case. Such a dual role of
the witness can hardly contribute to his ability to give an
objective, impartial and unbiased testimony.
The Forum once more expresses its deepest concern about the
continued impatience exercised by the Presiding Judge Richard
May during the cross-examination of witnesses. On 22 May
2002, during the cross-examination of Dr. Eric Baccard, the
forensic medicine expert, one of the amicus curiae Mr.
Tapuskovic was abruptly cut short by the Judge May while
questioning the witness on events in Racak. Noting that the
Racak events have triggered the 78 day long bombardment of
Yugoslavia and that Mr. Tapuskovic's cross-examination was
stopped while he was dealing with some crucial issues with
explanation that "his time was up", the Forum considers it
unacceptable that such crucial issues be pushed aside by the
Presiding Judge in a such impatient manner. There is no doubt
that such a manner has detrimental effect on the process of
ascertainment of the truth.
The Forum notes that Mr. Milosevic's right to cross-examine
witnesses was also interfered with while questioning Gen.
Misha Mazoneev, again concerning the events in Racak. While
noting that Mr. Milosevic's questions were legally and
factually relevant, The Forum is rather concerned about an
unprecedented outburst of impatience by the Presiding Judge
May on that occasion.
Finally, the Forum expresses its deepest concern about the
fact that the Office of the Prosecutor increasingly rely on
testimonies of the witnesses who have extensive criminal
records. Credibility of these testimonies is therefore
extremely questionable.
Considering that such a conduct of the proceedings continues
to have detrimental effect to Mr. Milosevic's right to a fair
trial, the Forum once again calls upon all human rights
organisations to appoint their observers at the trial, or to
follow the proceedings in other appropriate manner. The Forum
also calls upon all human rights organisationa to take any
action they deem appropriate in order to stop the violations
of the right to a fair trial of Mr. Slobodan Milosevic.
President of the Forum Vladislav Jovanovic Done in Belgrade
on 10 June 2002
___
BEOGRADSKI FORUM ZA SVET RAVNOPRAVNIH
11000 Beograd,
Misarska 6/II,
Jugoslavija
Tel./Fax: (++381 11) 3245601
E-Mail: info@...
www.belgrade-forum.org
Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 22:40:49 +0200
From: "Vladimir Krsljanin"
FREEDOM ASSOCIATION SPECIAL BULLETIN
No.11
June 03, 2002
Runaway Witness
At the trial of Slobodan Milosevic in The Hague
"tribunal", this day is going to be remembered for
the fact that one of the witnesses to the
Prosecution literally ran away from the courtroom.
Although announced as a protected witness with a
codename K-12, which means complete protection of
his identity was secured, this witness decided to
quit testifying after the very first introductory
questions of the prosecution. All participants to
the process got quite confused, even judge May's
assurances every protection was guaranteed meant
nothing to the witness. The prosecutor finally was
left with nothing more than asking judge May to let
him talk once again with the "disobedient" witness
during the break, in order to eventually persuade
him to testify on some other occasion.
The case with witness K-12 has contributed to the
general bleak picture of the trial. Every new day of
the trial makes clearer that the "indictment" was
fabricated to mistify the reality of events in
Kosovo and Metohia and all over the former
Yugoslavia, i.e. to justify the aggressive policy of
the West - of America before everybody else.
Fred Abrahams of "Human Rights Watch"
(HRW) organization, testified today. Despite the
refusal of the strong appeal of President Milosevic
against his testimony, the credibility of
this "witness" was really put on test today, since
he's a man who unequivocally took part in the
writing of the indictment. As Milosevic has put it
during the cross-examination of this witness, the
prosecution is taking the role of witness, and
judging from their behavior so far, they would like
to take over the role of judge as well.
Since this witness was "researching" the situation
in Kosovo and Metohia from the point of view of
humanitarian law and accused in that respect Serbia
and FR Yugoslavia and their leaderships, Milosevic
asked him whether he considered the bombardment of
civilians targets (like the city of Aleksinac) or
the use of cluster bombs and depleted uranium as
legal actions under that very humanitarian law. No
matter he was cornered by such undisputed facts,
Abrahams tried making stories that such deeds under
certain circumstances should be considered as
crimes, and under some others they should not. He
gave similar answers to questions related to UCK
terrorist crimes, after he had to admit they
actually happened, but he would still afterwards
engage in explaining those crimes as reactions to an
alleged police repression.
That Fred Abrahams's testimony was fabricated with
some aims defined in advance, become completelly
clear in the cross-examination by Milosevic. For
instance, this witness gave his first statement to
the prosecution in March 1999, while the
"indictment", in preparation of
which he participated was raised only in May.
Beside, he worked for the Soros Foundation as
contracted writer of a book on the transition in
Albania. As for the HRW activities, the organization
the witness is currently working for, he tried to
prove it gets its financing exclusively from
donations, foundations and humanitarian
manifestations, and that no one could exert any
influence on their research and conclusions.
However, from his answers resulted quite the
opposite. It appears that in his editorial, which
appeared in the International Herald Tribune on
August 5, 1998, Abrahams came out with the
recommendation that the first thing America should
do towards Yugoslavia was to indict Slobodan
Milosevic. When asked on how visionary had he been
just two months before Richard Holbrook signed with
Milosevic the agreement on the Kosovo Verification
Mission, the witness in a rather unconvinced way
replied that such recommendation then had been his
personal opinion.
To join or help this struggle, visit:
http://www.sps.org.yu/ (official SPS website)
http://www.belgrade-forum.org/ (forum for the world of
equals)
http://www.icdsm.org/ (the international committee to defend
Slobodan Milosevic)
http://www.jutarnje.co.yu/ ('morning news' the only Serbian
newspaper advocating liberation)
===*===
----- Original Message -----
From: Artel
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 7:03 PM
Subject: New text on ARTEL GEOPOLITIKA- Statement of The
Belgrade Forum regarding Milosevic Trial
ARTEL GEOPOLITIKA by www.artel.co.yu
office@...
THE BELGRADE FORUM FOR THE WORLD OF EQUALS:
STATEMENT REGARDING MILOSEVIC TRIAL
Acting President of the Forum
Vladislav Jovanovic
Done in Belgrade on 10 June 2002
Recalling its statement of 14 May 2002, the Forum remains
deeply concerned about the conduct of the trial of Mr.
Slobodan Milosevic before the International Criminal Tribunal
for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague.
The Forum is concerned about the Tribunal's acceptance of Mr.
Fred Abrahams of the Human Rights Watch as a witness, in
spite of the fact that he was previously employed by the
Office of the Prosecutor in this case. Such a dual role of
the witness can hardly contribute to his ability to give an
objective, impartial and unbiased testimony.
The Forum once more expresses its deepest concern about the
continued impatience exercised by the Presiding Judge Richard
May during the cross-examination of witnesses. On 22 May
2002, during the cross-examination of Dr. Eric Baccard, the
forensic medicine expert, one of the amicus curiae Mr.
Tapuskovic was abruptly cut short by the Judge May while
questioning the witness on events in Racak. Noting that the
Racak events have triggered the 78 day long bombardment of
Yugoslavia and that Mr. Tapuskovic's cross-examination was
stopped while he was dealing with some crucial issues with
explanation that "his time was up", the Forum considers it
unacceptable that such crucial issues be pushed aside by the
Presiding Judge in a such impatient manner. There is no doubt
that such a manner has detrimental effect on the process of
ascertainment of the truth.
The Forum notes that Mr. Milosevic's right to cross-examine
witnesses was also interfered with while questioning Gen.
Misha Mazoneev, again concerning the events in Racak. While
noting that Mr. Milosevic's questions were legally and
factually relevant, The Forum is rather concerned about an
unprecedented outburst of impatience by the Presiding Judge
May on that occasion.
Finally, the Forum expresses its deepest concern about the
fact that the Office of the Prosecutor increasingly rely on
testimonies of the witnesses who have extensive criminal
records. Credibility of these testimonies is therefore
extremely questionable.
Considering that such a conduct of the proceedings continues
to have detrimental effect to Mr. Milosevic's right to a fair
trial, the Forum once again calls upon all human rights
organisations to appoint their observers at the trial, or to
follow the proceedings in other appropriate manner. The Forum
also calls upon all human rights organisationa to take any
action they deem appropriate in order to stop the violations
of the right to a fair trial of Mr. Slobodan Milosevic.
President of the Forum Vladislav Jovanovic Done in Belgrade
on 10 June 2002
___
BEOGRADSKI FORUM ZA SVET RAVNOPRAVNIH
11000 Beograd,
Misarska 6/II,
Jugoslavija
Tel./Fax: (++381 11) 3245601
E-Mail: info@...
www.belgrade-forum.org