Yougoslavia, Federal Rep.of
30.08.00
Urgent Interventions
Yougoslavia: Possible charges - Freedom of Expression
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
YUG 007 / 0008 / OBS 090
Possible charges - Freedom of Expression
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
30th August 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests you to intervene with the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia), with utmost urgency in connection with the following situation.
Brief description :
The Observatory was informed by the Humanitarian Law Centre that the Yugoslav Army has threatened Natasa Kandic in a statement published in the Danas newspaper on Thursday 24th August 2000, with “legally defined consequences” if her allegations of government atrocities are not “substantiated”. In this statement it was added that the claims of Kandic, if true, “would be an important source of information to help bring the perpetrators of crimes to justice.” This declaration was a response to the article, “I shall not keep quiet about the horrors”, published by Natasa Kandic, Director of the Humanitarian Law Fund, on 17th August 2000 in Danas newspaper, in which she mentions the responsibility of the Serb forces of crimes committed in Kosovo during the NATO intervention. This statement constitutes a threat against Natasa Kandic for simply publicising information about government activities.
The Observatory is gravely concerned by these threats, particularly in light of the recent sentencing of Miroslav Filipovic, a correspondent in Kraljevo for the daily independent Danas, to 7 years in prison by the military Tribunal of Nis on 26 July 2000 for « espionage » and « disseminating false information. » Filipovic was accused on 13 June 2000 on the basis of articles reporting about the testimony of officers on crimes committed by the Yugoslav army in Kosovo during the NATO bombings on the Internet site of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.
The Observatory deems the actions of Natasa Kandic to be in line with her right to liberty of expression and opinion and recalls the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders that states in article 6.b that "everyone has the right to publish, communicate with others or to freely disperse ideas, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental liberties".
The Observatory recalls moreover that these acts occur in a context where repression centred against independent media and democratic movements in Serbia has worsened since the beginning of the year.
Actions requested :
Please write to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia urging them to :
i. abide by the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9th 1998 ("Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ") and more particularly article 1 which provides that "Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels", as well as article 6.b, cited previously;
ii. more generally abide by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the regional and international covenants ratified by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Addresses :
President of the Republic of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic.
Fax : 381 11 63 67 75.
Minister of Domestic affairs, Fax : 381 11 361 83 66.
Embassies of the federal Republic of Yugoslavia in your respective countries
Geneva-Paris, 30th August 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply. The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency line : Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
YUG 007 / 0008 / OBS 090
Possible charges - Freedom of Expression
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
30th August 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests you to intervene with the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia), with utmost urgency in connection with the following situation.
Brief description :
The Observatory was informed by the Humanitarian Law Centre that the Yugoslav Army has threatened Natasa Kandic in a statement published in the Danas newspaper on Thursday 24th August 2000, with “legally defined consequences” if her allegations of government atrocities are not “substantiated”. In this statement it was added that the claims of Kandic, if true, “would be an important source of information to help bring the perpetrators of crimes to justice.” This declaration was a response to the article, “I shall not keep quiet about the horrors”, published by Natasa Kandic, Director of the Humanitarian Law Fund, on 17th August 2000 in Danas newspaper, in which she mentions the responsibility of the Serb forces of crimes committed in Kosovo during the NATO intervention. This statement constitutes a threat against Natasa Kandic for simply publicising information about government activities.
The Observatory is gravely concerned by these threats, particularly in light of the recent sentencing of Miroslav Filipovic, a correspondent in Kraljevo for the daily independent Danas, to 7 years in prison by the military Tribunal of Nis on 26 July 2000 for « espionage » and « disseminating false information. » Filipovic was accused on 13 June 2000 on the basis of articles reporting about the testimony of officers on crimes committed by the Yugoslav army in Kosovo during the NATO bombings on the Internet site of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.
The Observatory deems the actions of Natasa Kandic to be in line with her right to liberty of expression and opinion and recalls the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders that states in article 6.b that "everyone has the right to publish, communicate with others or to freely disperse ideas, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental liberties".
The Observatory recalls moreover that these acts occur in a context where repression centred against independent media and democratic movements in Serbia has worsened since the beginning of the year.
Actions requested :
Please write to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia urging them to :
i. abide by the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9th 1998 ("Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ") and more particularly article 1 which provides that "Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels", as well as article 6.b, cited previously;
ii. more generally abide by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the regional and international covenants ratified by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Addresses :
President of the Republic of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic.
Fax : 381 11 63 67 75.
Minister of Domestic affairs, Fax : 381 11 361 83 66.
Embassies of the federal Republic of Yugoslavia in your respective countries
Geneva-Paris, 30th August 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply. The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency line : Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch