Today, Dec. 19, 2001, in the offices of the italian "Radical Party" in
Rome a press conference was held with Carla Del Ponte, "prosecutor" of
the "ad hoc Tribunal for the crimes committed on the territory of the
former Yugoslavia".
Some activists of the Italian National Coordination for Yugoslavia and
the Italian section of the "Ramsey Clark" Tribunal unexpectedly took
part at the conference, repeatedly asking questions and making very
critical remarks to Del Ponte. In the opinion of the protesters, the "ad
hoc tribunal" is a cangaroo court because (a) it has been formed under
pressures by some members of the UN Security Council and not by the UN
General Assembly, therefore is illegal; (b) his rule contradicts basical
juristic principles, such as the fact that one is guilty when this has
been proved and sentenced, not before, the fact that indictments must be
publicly known as well as the sources of proofs and the testimonies'
identity; moreover, its nature is strictly a political one, as
demonstrated by the absence of indictments against NATO for the 1999
bombings against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The protesters were answered to with racist statements and intimidations
("Since you are a Serb, what are you looking for here? Go home!", "Are
you really a lawyer, so stupid?") by the members of the Radical Party,
which is well-known in Italy for its long-lasting engagement to splitter
Yugoslavia in ethnic "cells" and in favour of the "ad hoc tribunal" as
well. The protesters remembered to the leader of this party, Marco
Pannella, his personal role in Autumn 1991, when he let himself be
photographed wearing the uniform of the Croatian Army, in the vicinity
of Osijek, to demonstrate his support to the ethnic nationalism and
secessionism.
The Radical Party is a group with just a few militants but has a
continuous presence in the media world and, apparently, a solid
financial base. Inspired by ultra-liberalist ideas, at present it is
asking for a "structural reform" of the Italian State to follow the US
model. In the Radical Party meetings, USA, GB and Israel flags are
usually exhibited.
(edited by "Jugoslavenski Glas", Rome)
Rome a press conference was held with Carla Del Ponte, "prosecutor" of
the "ad hoc Tribunal for the crimes committed on the territory of the
former Yugoslavia".
Some activists of the Italian National Coordination for Yugoslavia and
the Italian section of the "Ramsey Clark" Tribunal unexpectedly took
part at the conference, repeatedly asking questions and making very
critical remarks to Del Ponte. In the opinion of the protesters, the "ad
hoc tribunal" is a cangaroo court because (a) it has been formed under
pressures by some members of the UN Security Council and not by the UN
General Assembly, therefore is illegal; (b) his rule contradicts basical
juristic principles, such as the fact that one is guilty when this has
been proved and sentenced, not before, the fact that indictments must be
publicly known as well as the sources of proofs and the testimonies'
identity; moreover, its nature is strictly a political one, as
demonstrated by the absence of indictments against NATO for the 1999
bombings against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The protesters were answered to with racist statements and intimidations
("Since you are a Serb, what are you looking for here? Go home!", "Are
you really a lawyer, so stupid?") by the members of the Radical Party,
which is well-known in Italy for its long-lasting engagement to splitter
Yugoslavia in ethnic "cells" and in favour of the "ad hoc tribunal" as
well. The protesters remembered to the leader of this party, Marco
Pannella, his personal role in Autumn 1991, when he let himself be
photographed wearing the uniform of the Croatian Army, in the vicinity
of Osijek, to demonstrate his support to the ethnic nationalism and
secessionism.
The Radical Party is a group with just a few militants but has a
continuous presence in the media world and, apparently, a solid
financial base. Inspired by ultra-liberalist ideas, at present it is
asking for a "structural reform" of the Italian State to follow the US
model. In the Radical Party meetings, USA, GB and Israel flags are
usually exhibited.
(edited by "Jugoslavenski Glas", Rome)