Yougoslavia, Federal Rep.of
14.11.02
Urgent Interventions
Yougoslavia: Two Roma children severly ill-treated by two police inspectors
Case YUG 141102.CC
CHILD CONCERN
Torture
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Yugoslavia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Humanitarian Law Centre (HLC), that two Roma children, 11 year-old S.S. and 13 year-old M.S., were physically and verbally abused by two inspectors from the Yugoslav Police on 8 November 2002 in Niksic.
According to the information received, S.S. and M.S., whose family was displaced from Kosovo to Niksic, were driven from their home to the Security Centre in Niksic, with the agreement of their father A.S., in the morning of 8 November by two police inspectors, named Stanisic and Koprivica, on suspicion of breaking into a car and stealing a bag from it.
Once in the Security Centre, the two children were reportedly severely ill-treated by Stanisic and Koprivica in order to make them confess the offences for which they were brought to the Centre in the first place. Both were allegedly beaten on their soles and body with a nightstick, were made to jump up and down on one leg and were threatened to be put naked and their testicles cut off if they didn’t confess. S.S. was moreover threatened by one of the inspector who took out a knife and put it under the boy’s chin. M.S. reported that he was thrown on the floor and stomped on his head.
According to the information received, the two boys were held at the Security Centre until 6 p.m. The inspectors allegedly warned their mother not to complain about her sons’ ill-treatment and threatened to send back all the family to Kosovo if she didn’t comply.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT is gravely concerned about the Yugoslav Police’s attitude towards Roma people. These events are not isolated acts, but have to be linked to increasing violence and discrimination against Roma people in Yugoslavia. According to the information received, various members of this minority have been subjected to violations of their human rights, such as the right not to be tortured or subjected to other forms of ill-treatment, the right to housing, the right to education or the right to health. Furthermore OMCT would like to recall that Yugoslavia is a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which clearly states that: “No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” (art. 37 (a)) and that: “States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the (…) Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's (…) national, ethnic or social origin (…) or other status” (art. 2 (1)).
Action Requested
Please write to the Yugoslavian authorities urging them to:
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the alleged ill-treatment of the afore-mentioned children, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. ensure that the rights set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child be applied without any discrimination against Roma children;
iii. guarantee adequate reparation to the victims, in particular by ensuring full physical and psychological recovery;
iv. guarantee all human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards, particularly the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses
· His Excellency Vojislav Kostunica, President of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bulevar Lenjina 2, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia; fax: +381 11 3111668, e-mail: vojislav.kostunica@gov.yu
· His Excellency Dragiša Pešiæ, Prime Minister of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 2, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia. Fax: +381 11 604446 / +381 11 637185, E-mail: dragisa.pesic@gov.yu
· His Excellency Minister Vladan Batic, The Ministry of Justice, Nemanjina 22-24, fax: +381 11 3616419 / +381 11 3616535, E-mail: kabinet@mpravde.sr.gov.yu
· His Excellency Goran Svilanovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Kneza Milosa 3, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia, Fax : (+ 381) 11 3618052 / (+ 381) 11 3618010, E-mail: goran.svilanovic@gov.yu
· His Excellency Zoran Zivkovic, Minister of Internal Affairs of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia, fax: (+ 381) 11 3117159,E-mail: zoran.zivkovic@gov.yu
· His Excellency Zoran Djindjic, Prime Minister of the Serbian Government, 11 Nemanjina St., Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia, Fax: (+381) 11 3617587, E-mail: press@uzzpro.sr.gov.yu
· The Federal Ministry of National and Ethnic Communities
· Minister Rasim Ljajic, Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia, fax: (+381) 11 3112916, E-mail: rasim.ljajic@gov.yu
· The Ministry of Interior Republic of Serbia, Minister Dusan Mihajlovic, Kneza Milosa 101, fax: (+381) 11 3617585 / (+381) 11 3617814, E-mail: muprs@mup.sr.gov.yu
Please also write to the embassies of Yugoslavia in your respective country.
Geneva, 14 November 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
CHILD CONCERN
Torture
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Yugoslavia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Humanitarian Law Centre (HLC), that two Roma children, 11 year-old S.S. and 13 year-old M.S., were physically and verbally abused by two inspectors from the Yugoslav Police on 8 November 2002 in Niksic.
According to the information received, S.S. and M.S., whose family was displaced from Kosovo to Niksic, were driven from their home to the Security Centre in Niksic, with the agreement of their father A.S., in the morning of 8 November by two police inspectors, named Stanisic and Koprivica, on suspicion of breaking into a car and stealing a bag from it.
Once in the Security Centre, the two children were reportedly severely ill-treated by Stanisic and Koprivica in order to make them confess the offences for which they were brought to the Centre in the first place. Both were allegedly beaten on their soles and body with a nightstick, were made to jump up and down on one leg and were threatened to be put naked and their testicles cut off if they didn’t confess. S.S. was moreover threatened by one of the inspector who took out a knife and put it under the boy’s chin. M.S. reported that he was thrown on the floor and stomped on his head.
According to the information received, the two boys were held at the Security Centre until 6 p.m. The inspectors allegedly warned their mother not to complain about her sons’ ill-treatment and threatened to send back all the family to Kosovo if she didn’t comply.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT is gravely concerned about the Yugoslav Police’s attitude towards Roma people. These events are not isolated acts, but have to be linked to increasing violence and discrimination against Roma people in Yugoslavia. According to the information received, various members of this minority have been subjected to violations of their human rights, such as the right not to be tortured or subjected to other forms of ill-treatment, the right to housing, the right to education or the right to health. Furthermore OMCT would like to recall that Yugoslavia is a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which clearly states that: “No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” (art. 37 (a)) and that: “States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the (…) Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's (…) national, ethnic or social origin (…) or other status” (art. 2 (1)).
Action Requested
Please write to the Yugoslavian authorities urging them to:
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the alleged ill-treatment of the afore-mentioned children, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. ensure that the rights set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child be applied without any discrimination against Roma children;
iii. guarantee adequate reparation to the victims, in particular by ensuring full physical and psychological recovery;
iv. guarantee all human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards, particularly the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses
· His Excellency Vojislav Kostunica, President of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bulevar Lenjina 2, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia; fax: +381 11 3111668, e-mail: vojislav.kostunica@gov.yu
· His Excellency Dragiša Pešiæ, Prime Minister of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 2, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia. Fax: +381 11 604446 / +381 11 637185, E-mail: dragisa.pesic@gov.yu
· His Excellency Minister Vladan Batic, The Ministry of Justice, Nemanjina 22-24, fax: +381 11 3616419 / +381 11 3616535, E-mail: kabinet@mpravde.sr.gov.yu
· His Excellency Goran Svilanovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Kneza Milosa 3, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia, Fax : (+ 381) 11 3618052 / (+ 381) 11 3618010, E-mail: goran.svilanovic@gov.yu
· His Excellency Zoran Zivkovic, Minister of Internal Affairs of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia, fax: (+ 381) 11 3117159,E-mail: zoran.zivkovic@gov.yu
· His Excellency Zoran Djindjic, Prime Minister of the Serbian Government, 11 Nemanjina St., Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia, Fax: (+381) 11 3617587, E-mail: press@uzzpro.sr.gov.yu
· The Federal Ministry of National and Ethnic Communities
· Minister Rasim Ljajic, Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia, fax: (+381) 11 3112916, E-mail: rasim.ljajic@gov.yu
· The Ministry of Interior Republic of Serbia, Minister Dusan Mihajlovic, Kneza Milosa 101, fax: (+381) 11 3617585 / (+381) 11 3617814, E-mail: muprs@mup.sr.gov.yu
Please also write to the embassies of Yugoslavia in your respective country.
Geneva, 14 November 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.