Yougoslavia, Federal Rep.of
29.01.02
Urgent Interventions
Yugoslavia: Harassment and intimidation campaing against Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
URGENT APPEAL – THE OBSERVATORY
FRY 001/0102/OBS 006
Harassment and intimidation campaign
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
January 29, 2002
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint program of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Serbia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia that acts of harassment and threats against the organization have escalated in recent weeks into deliberate obstruction and intimidation by both private and government affiliated groups.
According to the information received, on January 23, 2002, Ms. Sonja Biserko, Chairperson of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, addressed a letter to the Serbian Ministry of the Interior, Mr. Dusan Mihajlovic, to inform that the Serbian Helsinki Committee as an organization, as well as its members, and especially Ms. Biserko herself, are confronted with constant telephone threats and public hate speeches by politicians of the ruling Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition. According to Ms. Biserko, such hate speeches are supported by private media as well as the official governmental newspaper, Borba.
Additionally, in the last weeks, burglary attempts were made at the central office of the Helsinki Committee, as well as at the apartment of Mr. Slavija Stanojlovic, Deputy Chair of the Committee. The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia and the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) are convinced that these recent incidents are not random occurrences, but appear to be part of a larger intimidation campaign.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities the Serbian authorities and to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, urging them to:
i. put an end to any kind of harassment against Ms. Biserko and all members of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia and ensure that they be allowed to carry out their work without obstacles;
ii. abide by the provisions of the Declaration on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders adopted on the 9th of December 1998, by the U.N. General Assembly, particularly, Article 1 which stipulates that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters”.
iii. more generally abide by the Universal declaration on Human Rights and Covenants and international Conventions ratified by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Addresses
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
· His Excellency Vojislav Kostunica, President of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Predsednik SRJ, Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 2, 11070 Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Fax: (+ 011 381) 11 636 775 /(+ 011 381) 11 636 682) / (+ 011 381) 11 636 167 E-mail: VojislavKostunica@gov.yu
· His Excellency, Prime Minister, Predsednik Savezne Vlade, Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 2, 11070 Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Fax: (+ 011-381) 11 636 775 or (011-381) 11 659 682
· His Excellency, Minister of Justice, Ministar pravde, Republicko Ministarstvo za pravosudje i optu upravu, Namanjina 26, 11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Fax: (011-381) 11 361 6590
· Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fax : + 38 111 681 572
Republic of Serbia
· Cabinet of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, Belgrade, 11 Nemanjina St., Fax: 3617-609
· Ministry of the Interior, Belgrade, 101 Kneza Milosa St., Fax: 3617-814, Email: muprs@mup.sr.gov.yu
· Ministry of Justice and Local Self-Government, Belgrade, 22-26 Nemanjina St., Fax: 3616-419, Email : ksenija@mpravde.sr.gov.yu
Geneva – Paris, January 29, 2002
Kindly inform the Observatory 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:
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and fax FIDH +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 4122 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29
FRY 001/0102/OBS 006
Harassment and intimidation campaign
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
January 29, 2002
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint program of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Serbia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia that acts of harassment and threats against the organization have escalated in recent weeks into deliberate obstruction and intimidation by both private and government affiliated groups.
According to the information received, on January 23, 2002, Ms. Sonja Biserko, Chairperson of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, addressed a letter to the Serbian Ministry of the Interior, Mr. Dusan Mihajlovic, to inform that the Serbian Helsinki Committee as an organization, as well as its members, and especially Ms. Biserko herself, are confronted with constant telephone threats and public hate speeches by politicians of the ruling Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition. According to Ms. Biserko, such hate speeches are supported by private media as well as the official governmental newspaper, Borba.
Additionally, in the last weeks, burglary attempts were made at the central office of the Helsinki Committee, as well as at the apartment of Mr. Slavija Stanojlovic, Deputy Chair of the Committee. The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia and the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) are convinced that these recent incidents are not random occurrences, but appear to be part of a larger intimidation campaign.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities the Serbian authorities and to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, urging them to:
i. put an end to any kind of harassment against Ms. Biserko and all members of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia and ensure that they be allowed to carry out their work without obstacles;
ii. abide by the provisions of the Declaration on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders adopted on the 9th of December 1998, by the U.N. General Assembly, particularly, Article 1 which stipulates that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters”.
iii. more generally abide by the Universal declaration on Human Rights and Covenants and international Conventions ratified by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Addresses
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
· His Excellency Vojislav Kostunica, President of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Predsednik SRJ, Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 2, 11070 Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Fax: (+ 011 381) 11 636 775 /(+ 011 381) 11 636 682) / (+ 011 381) 11 636 167 E-mail: VojislavKostunica@gov.yu
· His Excellency, Prime Minister, Predsednik Savezne Vlade, Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 2, 11070 Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Fax: (+ 011-381) 11 636 775 or (011-381) 11 659 682
· His Excellency, Minister of Justice, Ministar pravde, Republicko Ministarstvo za pravosudje i optu upravu, Namanjina 26, 11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Fax: (011-381) 11 361 6590
· Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fax : + 38 111 681 572
Republic of Serbia
· Cabinet of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, Belgrade, 11 Nemanjina St., Fax: 3617-609
· Ministry of the Interior, Belgrade, 101 Kneza Milosa St., Fax: 3617-814, Email: muprs@mup.sr.gov.yu
· Ministry of Justice and Local Self-Government, Belgrade, 22-26 Nemanjina St., Fax: 3616-419, Email : ksenija@mpravde.sr.gov.yu
Geneva – Paris, January 29, 2002
Kindly inform the Observatory 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:
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and fax FIDH +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 4122 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29