Milosevic's "trial" (italiano / english)
1. MILOSEVIC'S BIRTHDAY, AUGUST 20th
Compleanno di Milosevic il 20 agosto
2. JOINT STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE TO
DEFEND SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC - ICDSM
Comunicato unitario della direzione del Comitato Internazionale per la
Difesa di Slobodan Milosevic
3. SPEECHES AT THE HAGUE, JUNE 28th
Gli interventi alla manifestazione dell'Aia di Velko Valkanov, Klaus
Hartmann, Aldo Bernardini, Jane Kelly, Heather Cottin
=== 1: MILOSEVIC'S BIRTHDAY, AUGUST 20th ===
From: Vladimir Krsljanin
(Italiano)
IL 20 AGOSTO IL PRESIDENTE SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC COMPIE 62 ANNI. SARA'
QUESTO IL SUO TERZO COMPLEANNO TRASCORSO IN PRIGIONE. INVIATE I VOSTRI
AUGURI E MESSAGGI DI SOSTEGNO - CARTOLINE, LETTERE O TELEGRAMMI -
ALL'INDIRIZZO RIPORTATO DI SEGUITO.
(English)
ON AUGUST 20, PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC WILL BE 62. THIS WILL BE HIS
THIRD BIRTHDAY IN PRISON.
PLEASE SEND YOUR SUPPORT MESSAGES AND BITHDAY GREETINGS AS POST-CARDS,
LETTERS OR CABLES TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
(Russian)
20-OGO AVGUSTA PREZIDENTU MILOSHEVICHU NAVESHITSYA 62 GODA. EHTO BUDET
EGO TRETIJ DEN' ROZHDENIYA V TYUR'ME.
POZHALUJSTA POSSYLAJTE VIRAZHENIYA PODDERZHKI I POZDRAVLENIYA V FORME
OTKRYTOK, PISEM I TELEGRAMM NA SLEDUYUSHCHIJ ADRES:
(Serbian)
20. AVGUSTA PREDSEDNIK MILOSEVIC CE IMATI 62 GODINE. TO CE BITI NJEGOV
TRECI RODJENDAN U ZATVORU.
POSALJITE SVOJE IZRAZE PODRSKE I CESTITKE U OBLIKU RAZGLEDNICA, PISAMA
I TELEGRAMA NA SLEDECU ADRESU:
PRESIDENT
SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC
UN Detention Unit
Postbus 87810
2508 Den Haag
Pomp Stations Weg 32
The Neteherlands
---
YOUR HELP
The work for the defense of Slobodan Milosevic totally depends on your
donations.
For more details, see: http://www.sloboda.org.yu/finappeal.htm
Send a check to our address:
SLOBODA
Rajiceva 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, Yugoslavia
or transfer your donation to our account using the instructions at:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/pomocdet.htm
=== 2 : ICDSM STATEMENT ===
JOINT STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE TO DEFEND
SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC - ICDSM
The Board of ICDSM informs that Jared Israel and Nico Varkevisser are
not members of ICDSM. They left the Committee, its goals and
commitments in May-June 2003 by launching a series of reckless actions
against it and its leading members, even misusing the name of President
Milosevic. Their unauthorized misuse of the title, website and
financial account of ICDSM to promote their fabricated allegations and
distorted facts has to stop immediately, otherwise they should face
moral and legal consequences.
ICDSM remains committed to the struggle to free President Slobodan
Milosevic from his illegal NATO prison and to promote and assist his
battle for truth, freedom and dignity in the interest of the
people. This battle is of the greatest importance for equality and
democracy in the World.
Our engagement will be only to that end.
This is our common and indisputable position.
August 18, 2003
THE BOARD OF ICDSM
---
Traduzione italiana:
COMUNICATO UNITARIO DELLA DIREZIONE DEL COMITATO INTERNAZIONALE PER LA
DIFESA DI SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC - ICDSM
La direzione dell'ICDSM informa che Jared Israel e Nico Varkevisser non
sono membri dell'ICDSM. Essi hanno di fatto abbandonato il Comitato, i
suoi scopi ed i suoi obblighi nel maggio-giugno 2003, allorquando hanno
incominciato a lanciare una serie di attacchi avventati contro di esso
e contro i suoi principali componenti, persino abusando del nome del
presidente Milosevic.
Il loro improprio e non autorizzato uso del nome, del sito web e del
conto finanziario dell'ICDSM allo scopo di promuovere le loro
supposizioni e distorsioni dei fatti deve cessare immediatamente. In
caso contrario essi dovranno sostenerne le conseguenze morali e legali.
L'ICDSM resta impegnato nella lotta per la liberazione del Presidente
Slobodan Milosevic dalla illegale prigionia NATO, e nella assistenza e
promozione della sua battaglia per la verita', la liberta' e la
dignita' nell'interesse della gente. Questa battaglia e' di estrema
importanza per le sorti della eguaglianza e della democrazia nel mondo.
Il nostro impegno sara' solo a questo scopo.
Questa e' la nostra posizione comune ed irrevocabile.
18 Agosto 2003
La direzione dell'ICDSM
=== 3 : SPEECHES AT THE HAGUE, JUNE 28th ===
From "Sloboda", Belgrade
(To see full coverage of the June 28th demonstration at The Hague,
please go to
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/engleski/index-demonstr.html )
---
Speech given by Prof. Dr. Velko Valkanov, Co-Chairman of the ICDSM, at
the protest at The Hague, June 28th, 2003
Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,
Since two years, former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic is in the
prison at The Hague, not far from here. He is in jail not because he
committed a crime, but on the opposite, because he was fighting against
criminals. He defended the freedom and honor of its people, he defended
the freedom and honor of all people. That’s why we have the right to
say: in prison at The Hague, there is not just president Milosevic, but
freedom itself, human dignity itself.
President Milosevic stands before a tribunal that lacks not only legal
grounds, but moral grounds as well. It was established by people who do
not recognize International Law. Although they committed many crimes
against the human kind, not them but their victims were made
responsible. The United States of America, which is the strongest force
behind the tribunal, is not recognizing the legitimate International
Criminal Court that was formed on basis of the Rome Statute. They are
of the opinion that people from all nations can be put on trial but not
their own citizens, the citizens of the United States. That is the peak
of hypocrisy, the peak of a robbing moral.
Dear friends,
Yesterday, Klaus Hartmann and me visited president Milosevic in prison.
We talked for about two hours. He sends all his regards to you.
We, Klaus Hartmann and myself, are able to tell you that president
Milosevic has a strong spirit. His inquisitors used different means to
break his strength of mind. Those inferior people even organized a
campaign of hatred against his family. But they will be disappointed.
They can kill president Milosevic, but they cannot defeat this great
man.
Dear friends,
Here, in The Hague, two powers are fighting a difficult battle: the
'world-lie' and the 'world-truth'. In that battle, we stand on the side
of the 'world-truth'. We have no right to loose this battle, the battle
of the future of human kind.
I thank you for your attention.
---
Klaus Hartmann, Vice-Chairman of the ICDSM and speaker of the German
section of the ICDSM, before prison in The Hague where Slobodan
Milosevic is imprisoned, June 28, 2003
Friends, citizens:
We are standing here in front of a building that was used by the German
fascists to imprison Dutch anti-fascist and resistance fighters.
Today once again the criminals have locked up their victims, the
representatives of the resistance to the dictatorship of the “New World
Order”.
We direct our solidarity to these political prisoners, who are
imprisoned here illegally.
The so-called Hague Tribunal, which violates International Law, serves
not only to legitimize NATO’s crimes against Yugoslavia, it is also
part of the colonial authority over the Balkans, a part of a network of
custodial authorities and protectorates, that lie over this country
like a leaden net and prevent the people there from rising up to take
their fate in their own hands and themselves determine their fate.
Yesterday I together with Velko Valkanov had the opportunity to hold a
discussion with President Slobodan Milosevic. He made it quite clear
that the charges this false tribunal is bringing are aimed at
solidifying the colonial order in the Balkans:
–The charges of alleged Serbian crimes in Kosovo have the goal of
laying the foundations for the separation of Kosovo from Serbia;
–The charge of alleged genocide in Bosnia has the goal of ending the
existence of the Serb Republic.
Up to now Slobodan Milosevic has managed to repudiate all the
prosecution’s witnesses, to reduce their testimony to nothing. The
latest, occurring in the last few days, was former U.S. Ambassador
Galbraith. And once again a special guardian angel had to come to the
rescue of this witness. It was the so-called “Judge’ May, this
caricature of a neutral figure, who unsuccessfully sought to rescue Mr.
Ambassador as he cut down the time that Slobodan Milosevic had for his
cross-examination.
In her own “half time,” in which prosecution witnesses are brought on
to support the charges, Ms. Del Ponte stands before us fully naked–a
frightful vision!
Slobodan Milosevic’s morale for struggle is unbroken.
Despite this, his joy over the victorious battles in the “court” room
is limited. The situation, he says, is from one point of view comical,
but even so ridiculous and tragic. Always having to deal with these
small-spirited people is no joy.
How much this court-martial fears the second “half time” in which
Slobodan Milosevic calls the witnesses, has been shown by the
prosecution’s already extending twice the time to make its case, now at
least until the beginning of 2004.
At the same time they have piled up Slobo with paper, tons of paper,
almost a half-million DIN A4 pages. To read these papers through he
would need three years, even if he read 400 pages each day.
It is a requirement of minimal fairness that he be provided with time
for an orderly preparation of his defense.
We demand then:
At least a one-year interruption and corresponding release from prison
for an orderly preparation of the defense!
In agreement with our friend and comrade Slobo, I issue a call that we
all concentrate the attention of the International Committee (for the
Defense of Slobodan Milosevic) and all the organizations of Serbs in
the diaspora to place all our weight on the scales to win this demand
for an interruption in the trial and the corresponding release from
prison!
A further protest is directed at the mistreatment and persecution of
his family, against whom a thoroughgoing witch-hunt has been launched.
While the public with the goal of their well known and practiced
deception of the people learns, that the order to arrest apparently has
something to do with a murder investigation, in reality it is either
over battles among youths or that his wife has allegedly used
“connections” to procure an apartment for the babysitter of her
grandchild.
This is the basis for an “International Arrest Order,” an unrepeatable
joke and a scandal, which is aimed only at undermining his strength for
the battle, his will to struggle, in that every visit from Mirjana and
other members of his family should be made impossible.
We raise the strongest protest and demand the withdrawal of this
illegal arrest orders!
Dear friends and comrades!
We are today for the first time in The Hague. But we will come again–we
are not here for the last time.
Yesterday at noon Slobo asked me, how many participants we expected for
our demonstration. I said, we would be happy if a few hundred were
there, because we have to begin, not wait until we are thousands, but
act with as many as we are able to reach. What is important is the
example, what is important is the first step, and I told him that
Aristoteles had already said, “the beginning is more than half of the
whole” - and today we have gone down more than half the road.
Dear friends!
* With the struggle for the freedom of Slobodan Milosevic we
struggle for all our freedom.
* We struggle against the new imperialist re-division of the world,
against neocolonialism, against the New World War Order.
* We struggle for the defense of people rights, for equality, for
independence, for national sovereignty and dignity of all countries.
We are convinced:
They shall not pass!
The slaveholders have never been the victors in history!
The people have the last word!
Thus:
Zivela Jugoslavija! Sloboda za Slobodana!
(Long live Yugoslavia! Freedom for Slobodan!)
Thank you.
---
Speech by Prof. Aldo Bernardini at the Vidovdan demonstration at The
Hague, June 28, 2003
Dear Comrades and Friends,
I bring here my full solidarity and the solidarity of many Italians to
President Slobodan Milosevic and the other Yugoslav people, who are
arbitrarily detained in this country by an illegitimate Tribunal
established by an anti-Charter order of Security Council. I express our
thanks to all who have organized this meeting and to everyone who is
here.
I met President Milosevic in his arbitrary jail two years ago and was
very impressed by his personality, sense of justice, courage, spirit of
resistance. Two considerations, among many others, made a deep
impression on me. Globalisation is imperialism, the imperialism of our
days, since there is no equality for States and peoples and it will be
forced on the world through other wars (as we know at present, a real
prophecy: Afghanistan, Iraq and so on): so President Milosevic is with
full right a forerunner of anti-globalism.
Second: no State would have accepted the U.N. Charter if there would
have been envisaged even implicitly such a mechanism as this Hague
Tribunal.
The United Nations and its Security Council is not a Superstate, a
Supergovernment with authority over individuals and the measures
envisaged in Chapter VII may not include such operations. As a matter
of fact other attempts at or cases of so-called international criminal
justice over individuals are based on treaties between sovereign States
(they pose also problems, but of another kind): only for Yugoslavia and
Rwanda there was an order by Security Council. If this were accepted as
law, as legitimate rules, Security Council could order everything in
front of everyone: a global dictatorship.
I don’t speak of other aspects of the specific action by the illegal
Tribunal, of its refusal to judge the crimes by NATO (who will be
judged, who will pay for the assassination of Yugoslavs?) Of it’s
denial to pay full respect for human rights: the barbaric abduction of
President Milosevic from Belgrade, for ex., and the shameful attitude
to his family, to his wife that cannot even visit President Milosevic
and is threatened with judicial prosecution. Why? This is the most
cruel torture.
So the Hague Tribunal is a Court for the winners, against people who
resist imperialism, who defend their country against imperialistic
divisions and wars. It is a tool not of justice, but of imperialism.
Freedom and justice for Slobodan Milosevic and the other victims, shame
on the instruments of imperialism!
Resurrection for Serbia and Yugoslavia!
Prof. Dott. Aldo Bernardini
Ordinario di Diritto internazionale
Università di Teramo
---
Speech given on June 28, 2003 at The Hague demonstration by June Kelly
of the Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic - Ireland
Down with new colonialism!
Abolish the US/NATO Tribunal!
Free Serbia! Free Yugoslavia!
Free Slobodan Milosevic!
The following is a message of Solidarity from the Committee to Defend
Slobodan Milosevic – (Ireland) who have travelled to The Hague for the
Demonstration on 28th June and those members who were unable to attend:
“To the organisers and all attending the International Demonstration
against the NATO “Court” in The Hague, on this, the second anniversary
of the abduction of the former President of Serbia and Yugoslavia, we
extend our warmest best wishes and message of solidarity in the
struggle for TRUTH, JUSTICE and PEACE.
Be assured that our members in Ireland will continue to campaign with
all of our means for the abolition of the US/NATO “Court” and for
the freedom of President Milosevic, other innocent prisoners in The
Hague and for the liberation of all peoples of Serbia and Yugoslavia”.
The writer Phillip K Dick once described the West succinctly as Lies –
Inc.
The campaign against the Serbian people and Slobodan Milosevic in terms
of concentrated levels of lies, irrationality and hysteria has exceeded
anything previously conceived of by propagandists in the service of
Imperialism.
It cannot be said often enough that the media is Licenced to Lie
On behalf of the war profiteers and their minions who are Licensed to
Kill.
Death dealing glamorised by James Bond the creation of nazi sympathiser
Ian Fleming.
The Director of a public relations company in Washington funded to
manufacture lies against the Serbs and Yugoslavia to enlist world wide
support for the barbaric assaults by NATO on the Bosnian Serbs in 1995
and on Yugoslavia in 1999 has said concernedly –
“We may have won the shooting war –If we lose the propaganda war the
consequences will be catastrophic – “
Signs are that this could be about to happen.
In the aftermath to the (criminal and unjust) bombardments of Iraq this
year it must be increasingly obvious even to the politically naïve that
Western nations do not attack other sovereign nations and depose the
leaders of those nations on either ultruistic or humanitarian grounds.
The agenda is McDonaldisation of the universe. Nothing less.
The tragedy is that remarkably few people across the globe
extraordinarily enough perceived the enormity to the Lie propagated
remorselessly by the Deceivers to garner support for the demolition of
what was then Yugoslavia and the ultimate establishment of a puppet
regime to serve the interests of the Imperialists (in Washington).
June Kelly
Coordinator
Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic-Ireland
---
Speech given by Heather Cottin
at The Hague demonstration on June 28, 2003
I greet you today with solidarity from the International Action
Center in New York, founded by Ramsey Clark.
This wonderful demonstration shows how important is
international solidarity. We come here today from two continents to
fight for truth and for the liberation of Slobodan Milosevic. We
continue to struggle for the liberation from NATO/US occupation and
oppression.
We are part of a world movement. Because we know that the
illegal US invasion, bombing and occupation of Iraq really began with
US/NATO destabilization, bombing and occupation of Yugoslavia.
My late husband, Sean Gervasi, died in Belgrade seven years ago.
He worked tirelessly in solidarity with the Serbian people and for
Yugoslavia. He wrote, he spoke, he traveled and organized to try to
save that beautiful nation. He said, "The US struggle to force change
on Yugoslavia is driven by . . . tensions between socialism and
capitalism. . . [but also] between independence and recolonization."
Yugoslavia, the Serbian people, and President Slobodan Milosevic
tried to keep their economy, their independence, and to resist
colonization, just as the Iraqi people are doing. This was their crime
against United States hegemony-and they paid dearly.
The International Action Center worked hard in the 1990s to
build solidarity with Yugoslavia. My late husband worked with the IAC
and throughout the Serbian community in North America and in Europe for
the freedom of Yugoslav from western control. Ramsey Clark and members
of the IAC visited Yugoslavia many times, including during the bombing
in 1999. The IAC conducted a peoples' tribunal in New York, finding the
United States guilty of violating international law and of crimes
against peace. We organized a march on Washington in June of 1999.
The IAC published three books on Yugoslavia, “NATO in the
Balkans”, “Liars Poker” by Michel Collon and “Hidden Agenda”, written
after the war on Yugoslavia. We worked with many of the groups
represented here today- the German section of the International
Committee to defend Slobodan Milosevic, the Pasti Foundation, the PTB,
the New Communist Party of the Netherlands and others.
In a recent interview in Junge Welt Ramsey Clark said,
"People who want peace can’t be taken in by propaganda that makes them
think that by [demonizing people] you can find peace and human rights.
You'll find instead war, injustice, and indignity."
It is against war, injustice and indignity that Slobodan
Milosevic and those in solidarity with him stand today.
As the international anti-imperialist movement grows, we see
millions rising up against war and occupation. This means we have work
to do.
Already at a conference last month organized by the
International Act Now to Stop War and End racism (ANSWER) coalition,
the IAC presented a workshop on Yugoslavia. There was standing room
only. People are eager to learn the truth - to see how the war on
Yugoslav was, as Sean Gervasi showed, "The foot in the door." The
people now understand the media lies. They are beginning to understand
U.S. militarism, globalization and imperialism.
The anti-imperialist movement must take up the cause of
president Milosevic, must see how the demonization of the Serbian
people only served the interests of U.S. hegemony. They need to see
NATO as the military arm of globalization and privatization.
Slobodan Milosevic has alone put NATO in the dock! But he is not
alone. We join with him against the illegal NATO court.
Tonight, in New York at the IAC, we are having a meeting in
solidarity with this important demonstration. We are joined against all
illegal wars and the occupation of Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan,
Palestine, and Iraq.
Sloboda means freedom! Yugoslavia!
Heather Cottin
International Action Center
NY, New York, USA
---
SLOBODA urgently needs your donation.
Please find the detailed instructions at:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/pomoc.htm
To join or help this struggle, visit:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/ (Sloboda/Freedom association)
http://www.icdsm.org/ (the international committee to defend Slobodan
Milosevic)
http://www.free-slobo.de/ (German section of ICDSM)
http://www.wpc-in.org/ (world peace council)
http://www.geocities.com/b_antinato/ (Balkan antiNATO center)
1. MILOSEVIC'S BIRTHDAY, AUGUST 20th
Compleanno di Milosevic il 20 agosto
2. JOINT STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE TO
DEFEND SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC - ICDSM
Comunicato unitario della direzione del Comitato Internazionale per la
Difesa di Slobodan Milosevic
3. SPEECHES AT THE HAGUE, JUNE 28th
Gli interventi alla manifestazione dell'Aia di Velko Valkanov, Klaus
Hartmann, Aldo Bernardini, Jane Kelly, Heather Cottin
=== 1: MILOSEVIC'S BIRTHDAY, AUGUST 20th ===
From: Vladimir Krsljanin
(Italiano)
IL 20 AGOSTO IL PRESIDENTE SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC COMPIE 62 ANNI. SARA'
QUESTO IL SUO TERZO COMPLEANNO TRASCORSO IN PRIGIONE. INVIATE I VOSTRI
AUGURI E MESSAGGI DI SOSTEGNO - CARTOLINE, LETTERE O TELEGRAMMI -
ALL'INDIRIZZO RIPORTATO DI SEGUITO.
(English)
ON AUGUST 20, PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC WILL BE 62. THIS WILL BE HIS
THIRD BIRTHDAY IN PRISON.
PLEASE SEND YOUR SUPPORT MESSAGES AND BITHDAY GREETINGS AS POST-CARDS,
LETTERS OR CABLES TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
(Russian)
20-OGO AVGUSTA PREZIDENTU MILOSHEVICHU NAVESHITSYA 62 GODA. EHTO BUDET
EGO TRETIJ DEN' ROZHDENIYA V TYUR'ME.
POZHALUJSTA POSSYLAJTE VIRAZHENIYA PODDERZHKI I POZDRAVLENIYA V FORME
OTKRYTOK, PISEM I TELEGRAMM NA SLEDUYUSHCHIJ ADRES:
(Serbian)
20. AVGUSTA PREDSEDNIK MILOSEVIC CE IMATI 62 GODINE. TO CE BITI NJEGOV
TRECI RODJENDAN U ZATVORU.
POSALJITE SVOJE IZRAZE PODRSKE I CESTITKE U OBLIKU RAZGLEDNICA, PISAMA
I TELEGRAMA NA SLEDECU ADRESU:
PRESIDENT
SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC
UN Detention Unit
Postbus 87810
2508 Den Haag
Pomp Stations Weg 32
The Neteherlands
---
YOUR HELP
The work for the defense of Slobodan Milosevic totally depends on your
donations.
For more details, see: http://www.sloboda.org.yu/finappeal.htm
Send a check to our address:
SLOBODA
Rajiceva 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, Yugoslavia
or transfer your donation to our account using the instructions at:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/pomocdet.htm
=== 2 : ICDSM STATEMENT ===
JOINT STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE TO DEFEND
SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC - ICDSM
The Board of ICDSM informs that Jared Israel and Nico Varkevisser are
not members of ICDSM. They left the Committee, its goals and
commitments in May-June 2003 by launching a series of reckless actions
against it and its leading members, even misusing the name of President
Milosevic. Their unauthorized misuse of the title, website and
financial account of ICDSM to promote their fabricated allegations and
distorted facts has to stop immediately, otherwise they should face
moral and legal consequences.
ICDSM remains committed to the struggle to free President Slobodan
Milosevic from his illegal NATO prison and to promote and assist his
battle for truth, freedom and dignity in the interest of the
people. This battle is of the greatest importance for equality and
democracy in the World.
Our engagement will be only to that end.
This is our common and indisputable position.
August 18, 2003
THE BOARD OF ICDSM
---
Traduzione italiana:
COMUNICATO UNITARIO DELLA DIREZIONE DEL COMITATO INTERNAZIONALE PER LA
DIFESA DI SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC - ICDSM
La direzione dell'ICDSM informa che Jared Israel e Nico Varkevisser non
sono membri dell'ICDSM. Essi hanno di fatto abbandonato il Comitato, i
suoi scopi ed i suoi obblighi nel maggio-giugno 2003, allorquando hanno
incominciato a lanciare una serie di attacchi avventati contro di esso
e contro i suoi principali componenti, persino abusando del nome del
presidente Milosevic.
Il loro improprio e non autorizzato uso del nome, del sito web e del
conto finanziario dell'ICDSM allo scopo di promuovere le loro
supposizioni e distorsioni dei fatti deve cessare immediatamente. In
caso contrario essi dovranno sostenerne le conseguenze morali e legali.
L'ICDSM resta impegnato nella lotta per la liberazione del Presidente
Slobodan Milosevic dalla illegale prigionia NATO, e nella assistenza e
promozione della sua battaglia per la verita', la liberta' e la
dignita' nell'interesse della gente. Questa battaglia e' di estrema
importanza per le sorti della eguaglianza e della democrazia nel mondo.
Il nostro impegno sara' solo a questo scopo.
Questa e' la nostra posizione comune ed irrevocabile.
18 Agosto 2003
La direzione dell'ICDSM
=== 3 : SPEECHES AT THE HAGUE, JUNE 28th ===
From "Sloboda", Belgrade
(To see full coverage of the June 28th demonstration at The Hague,
please go to
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/engleski/index-demonstr.html )
---
Speech given by Prof. Dr. Velko Valkanov, Co-Chairman of the ICDSM, at
the protest at The Hague, June 28th, 2003
Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,
Since two years, former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic is in the
prison at The Hague, not far from here. He is in jail not because he
committed a crime, but on the opposite, because he was fighting against
criminals. He defended the freedom and honor of its people, he defended
the freedom and honor of all people. That’s why we have the right to
say: in prison at The Hague, there is not just president Milosevic, but
freedom itself, human dignity itself.
President Milosevic stands before a tribunal that lacks not only legal
grounds, but moral grounds as well. It was established by people who do
not recognize International Law. Although they committed many crimes
against the human kind, not them but their victims were made
responsible. The United States of America, which is the strongest force
behind the tribunal, is not recognizing the legitimate International
Criminal Court that was formed on basis of the Rome Statute. They are
of the opinion that people from all nations can be put on trial but not
their own citizens, the citizens of the United States. That is the peak
of hypocrisy, the peak of a robbing moral.
Dear friends,
Yesterday, Klaus Hartmann and me visited president Milosevic in prison.
We talked for about two hours. He sends all his regards to you.
We, Klaus Hartmann and myself, are able to tell you that president
Milosevic has a strong spirit. His inquisitors used different means to
break his strength of mind. Those inferior people even organized a
campaign of hatred against his family. But they will be disappointed.
They can kill president Milosevic, but they cannot defeat this great
man.
Dear friends,
Here, in The Hague, two powers are fighting a difficult battle: the
'world-lie' and the 'world-truth'. In that battle, we stand on the side
of the 'world-truth'. We have no right to loose this battle, the battle
of the future of human kind.
I thank you for your attention.
---
Klaus Hartmann, Vice-Chairman of the ICDSM and speaker of the German
section of the ICDSM, before prison in The Hague where Slobodan
Milosevic is imprisoned, June 28, 2003
Friends, citizens:
We are standing here in front of a building that was used by the German
fascists to imprison Dutch anti-fascist and resistance fighters.
Today once again the criminals have locked up their victims, the
representatives of the resistance to the dictatorship of the “New World
Order”.
We direct our solidarity to these political prisoners, who are
imprisoned here illegally.
The so-called Hague Tribunal, which violates International Law, serves
not only to legitimize NATO’s crimes against Yugoslavia, it is also
part of the colonial authority over the Balkans, a part of a network of
custodial authorities and protectorates, that lie over this country
like a leaden net and prevent the people there from rising up to take
their fate in their own hands and themselves determine their fate.
Yesterday I together with Velko Valkanov had the opportunity to hold a
discussion with President Slobodan Milosevic. He made it quite clear
that the charges this false tribunal is bringing are aimed at
solidifying the colonial order in the Balkans:
–The charges of alleged Serbian crimes in Kosovo have the goal of
laying the foundations for the separation of Kosovo from Serbia;
–The charge of alleged genocide in Bosnia has the goal of ending the
existence of the Serb Republic.
Up to now Slobodan Milosevic has managed to repudiate all the
prosecution’s witnesses, to reduce their testimony to nothing. The
latest, occurring in the last few days, was former U.S. Ambassador
Galbraith. And once again a special guardian angel had to come to the
rescue of this witness. It was the so-called “Judge’ May, this
caricature of a neutral figure, who unsuccessfully sought to rescue Mr.
Ambassador as he cut down the time that Slobodan Milosevic had for his
cross-examination.
In her own “half time,” in which prosecution witnesses are brought on
to support the charges, Ms. Del Ponte stands before us fully naked–a
frightful vision!
Slobodan Milosevic’s morale for struggle is unbroken.
Despite this, his joy over the victorious battles in the “court” room
is limited. The situation, he says, is from one point of view comical,
but even so ridiculous and tragic. Always having to deal with these
small-spirited people is no joy.
How much this court-martial fears the second “half time” in which
Slobodan Milosevic calls the witnesses, has been shown by the
prosecution’s already extending twice the time to make its case, now at
least until the beginning of 2004.
At the same time they have piled up Slobo with paper, tons of paper,
almost a half-million DIN A4 pages. To read these papers through he
would need three years, even if he read 400 pages each day.
It is a requirement of minimal fairness that he be provided with time
for an orderly preparation of his defense.
We demand then:
At least a one-year interruption and corresponding release from prison
for an orderly preparation of the defense!
In agreement with our friend and comrade Slobo, I issue a call that we
all concentrate the attention of the International Committee (for the
Defense of Slobodan Milosevic) and all the organizations of Serbs in
the diaspora to place all our weight on the scales to win this demand
for an interruption in the trial and the corresponding release from
prison!
A further protest is directed at the mistreatment and persecution of
his family, against whom a thoroughgoing witch-hunt has been launched.
While the public with the goal of their well known and practiced
deception of the people learns, that the order to arrest apparently has
something to do with a murder investigation, in reality it is either
over battles among youths or that his wife has allegedly used
“connections” to procure an apartment for the babysitter of her
grandchild.
This is the basis for an “International Arrest Order,” an unrepeatable
joke and a scandal, which is aimed only at undermining his strength for
the battle, his will to struggle, in that every visit from Mirjana and
other members of his family should be made impossible.
We raise the strongest protest and demand the withdrawal of this
illegal arrest orders!
Dear friends and comrades!
We are today for the first time in The Hague. But we will come again–we
are not here for the last time.
Yesterday at noon Slobo asked me, how many participants we expected for
our demonstration. I said, we would be happy if a few hundred were
there, because we have to begin, not wait until we are thousands, but
act with as many as we are able to reach. What is important is the
example, what is important is the first step, and I told him that
Aristoteles had already said, “the beginning is more than half of the
whole” - and today we have gone down more than half the road.
Dear friends!
* With the struggle for the freedom of Slobodan Milosevic we
struggle for all our freedom.
* We struggle against the new imperialist re-division of the world,
against neocolonialism, against the New World War Order.
* We struggle for the defense of people rights, for equality, for
independence, for national sovereignty and dignity of all countries.
We are convinced:
They shall not pass!
The slaveholders have never been the victors in history!
The people have the last word!
Thus:
Zivela Jugoslavija! Sloboda za Slobodana!
(Long live Yugoslavia! Freedom for Slobodan!)
Thank you.
---
Speech by Prof. Aldo Bernardini at the Vidovdan demonstration at The
Hague, June 28, 2003
Dear Comrades and Friends,
I bring here my full solidarity and the solidarity of many Italians to
President Slobodan Milosevic and the other Yugoslav people, who are
arbitrarily detained in this country by an illegitimate Tribunal
established by an anti-Charter order of Security Council. I express our
thanks to all who have organized this meeting and to everyone who is
here.
I met President Milosevic in his arbitrary jail two years ago and was
very impressed by his personality, sense of justice, courage, spirit of
resistance. Two considerations, among many others, made a deep
impression on me. Globalisation is imperialism, the imperialism of our
days, since there is no equality for States and peoples and it will be
forced on the world through other wars (as we know at present, a real
prophecy: Afghanistan, Iraq and so on): so President Milosevic is with
full right a forerunner of anti-globalism.
Second: no State would have accepted the U.N. Charter if there would
have been envisaged even implicitly such a mechanism as this Hague
Tribunal.
The United Nations and its Security Council is not a Superstate, a
Supergovernment with authority over individuals and the measures
envisaged in Chapter VII may not include such operations. As a matter
of fact other attempts at or cases of so-called international criminal
justice over individuals are based on treaties between sovereign States
(they pose also problems, but of another kind): only for Yugoslavia and
Rwanda there was an order by Security Council. If this were accepted as
law, as legitimate rules, Security Council could order everything in
front of everyone: a global dictatorship.
I don’t speak of other aspects of the specific action by the illegal
Tribunal, of its refusal to judge the crimes by NATO (who will be
judged, who will pay for the assassination of Yugoslavs?) Of it’s
denial to pay full respect for human rights: the barbaric abduction of
President Milosevic from Belgrade, for ex., and the shameful attitude
to his family, to his wife that cannot even visit President Milosevic
and is threatened with judicial prosecution. Why? This is the most
cruel torture.
So the Hague Tribunal is a Court for the winners, against people who
resist imperialism, who defend their country against imperialistic
divisions and wars. It is a tool not of justice, but of imperialism.
Freedom and justice for Slobodan Milosevic and the other victims, shame
on the instruments of imperialism!
Resurrection for Serbia and Yugoslavia!
Prof. Dott. Aldo Bernardini
Ordinario di Diritto internazionale
Università di Teramo
---
Speech given on June 28, 2003 at The Hague demonstration by June Kelly
of the Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic - Ireland
Down with new colonialism!
Abolish the US/NATO Tribunal!
Free Serbia! Free Yugoslavia!
Free Slobodan Milosevic!
The following is a message of Solidarity from the Committee to Defend
Slobodan Milosevic – (Ireland) who have travelled to The Hague for the
Demonstration on 28th June and those members who were unable to attend:
“To the organisers and all attending the International Demonstration
against the NATO “Court” in The Hague, on this, the second anniversary
of the abduction of the former President of Serbia and Yugoslavia, we
extend our warmest best wishes and message of solidarity in the
struggle for TRUTH, JUSTICE and PEACE.
Be assured that our members in Ireland will continue to campaign with
all of our means for the abolition of the US/NATO “Court” and for
the freedom of President Milosevic, other innocent prisoners in The
Hague and for the liberation of all peoples of Serbia and Yugoslavia”.
The writer Phillip K Dick once described the West succinctly as Lies –
Inc.
The campaign against the Serbian people and Slobodan Milosevic in terms
of concentrated levels of lies, irrationality and hysteria has exceeded
anything previously conceived of by propagandists in the service of
Imperialism.
It cannot be said often enough that the media is Licenced to Lie
On behalf of the war profiteers and their minions who are Licensed to
Kill.
Death dealing glamorised by James Bond the creation of nazi sympathiser
Ian Fleming.
The Director of a public relations company in Washington funded to
manufacture lies against the Serbs and Yugoslavia to enlist world wide
support for the barbaric assaults by NATO on the Bosnian Serbs in 1995
and on Yugoslavia in 1999 has said concernedly –
“We may have won the shooting war –If we lose the propaganda war the
consequences will be catastrophic – “
Signs are that this could be about to happen.
In the aftermath to the (criminal and unjust) bombardments of Iraq this
year it must be increasingly obvious even to the politically naïve that
Western nations do not attack other sovereign nations and depose the
leaders of those nations on either ultruistic or humanitarian grounds.
The agenda is McDonaldisation of the universe. Nothing less.
The tragedy is that remarkably few people across the globe
extraordinarily enough perceived the enormity to the Lie propagated
remorselessly by the Deceivers to garner support for the demolition of
what was then Yugoslavia and the ultimate establishment of a puppet
regime to serve the interests of the Imperialists (in Washington).
June Kelly
Coordinator
Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic-Ireland
---
Speech given by Heather Cottin
at The Hague demonstration on June 28, 2003
I greet you today with solidarity from the International Action
Center in New York, founded by Ramsey Clark.
This wonderful demonstration shows how important is
international solidarity. We come here today from two continents to
fight for truth and for the liberation of Slobodan Milosevic. We
continue to struggle for the liberation from NATO/US occupation and
oppression.
We are part of a world movement. Because we know that the
illegal US invasion, bombing and occupation of Iraq really began with
US/NATO destabilization, bombing and occupation of Yugoslavia.
My late husband, Sean Gervasi, died in Belgrade seven years ago.
He worked tirelessly in solidarity with the Serbian people and for
Yugoslavia. He wrote, he spoke, he traveled and organized to try to
save that beautiful nation. He said, "The US struggle to force change
on Yugoslavia is driven by . . . tensions between socialism and
capitalism. . . [but also] between independence and recolonization."
Yugoslavia, the Serbian people, and President Slobodan Milosevic
tried to keep their economy, their independence, and to resist
colonization, just as the Iraqi people are doing. This was their crime
against United States hegemony-and they paid dearly.
The International Action Center worked hard in the 1990s to
build solidarity with Yugoslavia. My late husband worked with the IAC
and throughout the Serbian community in North America and in Europe for
the freedom of Yugoslav from western control. Ramsey Clark and members
of the IAC visited Yugoslavia many times, including during the bombing
in 1999. The IAC conducted a peoples' tribunal in New York, finding the
United States guilty of violating international law and of crimes
against peace. We organized a march on Washington in June of 1999.
The IAC published three books on Yugoslavia, “NATO in the
Balkans”, “Liars Poker” by Michel Collon and “Hidden Agenda”, written
after the war on Yugoslavia. We worked with many of the groups
represented here today- the German section of the International
Committee to defend Slobodan Milosevic, the Pasti Foundation, the PTB,
the New Communist Party of the Netherlands and others.
In a recent interview in Junge Welt Ramsey Clark said,
"People who want peace can’t be taken in by propaganda that makes them
think that by [demonizing people] you can find peace and human rights.
You'll find instead war, injustice, and indignity."
It is against war, injustice and indignity that Slobodan
Milosevic and those in solidarity with him stand today.
As the international anti-imperialist movement grows, we see
millions rising up against war and occupation. This means we have work
to do.
Already at a conference last month organized by the
International Act Now to Stop War and End racism (ANSWER) coalition,
the IAC presented a workshop on Yugoslavia. There was standing room
only. People are eager to learn the truth - to see how the war on
Yugoslav was, as Sean Gervasi showed, "The foot in the door." The
people now understand the media lies. They are beginning to understand
U.S. militarism, globalization and imperialism.
The anti-imperialist movement must take up the cause of
president Milosevic, must see how the demonization of the Serbian
people only served the interests of U.S. hegemony. They need to see
NATO as the military arm of globalization and privatization.
Slobodan Milosevic has alone put NATO in the dock! But he is not
alone. We join with him against the illegal NATO court.
Tonight, in New York at the IAC, we are having a meeting in
solidarity with this important demonstration. We are joined against all
illegal wars and the occupation of Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan,
Palestine, and Iraq.
Sloboda means freedom! Yugoslavia!
Heather Cottin
International Action Center
NY, New York, USA
---
SLOBODA urgently needs your donation.
Please find the detailed instructions at:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/pomoc.htm
To join or help this struggle, visit:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/ (Sloboda/Freedom association)
http://www.icdsm.org/ (the international committee to defend Slobodan
Milosevic)
http://www.free-slobo.de/ (German section of ICDSM)
http://www.wpc-in.org/ (world peace council)
http://www.geocities.com/b_antinato/ (Balkan antiNATO center)