Yougoslavia, Federal Rep.of
08.07.02
Urgent Interventions

Yugoslavia: two Roma children assaulted by the police

Case YUG 080702.CC
CHILD CONCERN
Aggression and other attacks


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 were physically and verbally abused by the Yugoslav Police on June 29th 2002.

According to the information received, the two Roma children, a 13-year old boy, Stancic Dragan, and a 14-year old girl, Ristic Ljuvica, were washing the windscreens of cars that had come to a halt in a busy intersection in Belgrade on June 29th 2002 when a police car approached them. One policeman stayed in the passenger seat, while the policeman who was driving got out and approached Stancic Dragan. The policeman reportedly shouted aggressively at him to go away and then smacked Stancic Dragan across his face with the back of his hand, causing Stancic’s lip to split open. The same policeman then reportedly swore at Ristic Ljuvica and slapped and punched her left cheek.

According to the report, Ristic Ljuvica had left her keys by the curb. At first, the policeman who had slapped her did not allow her to retrieve them, but then changed his mind. While Ristic Ljuvica was picking up her keys she saw that the policeman sitting in the passenger seat had badge number 103745.

Friends of the children, who were reportedly sitting by a nearby café and witnessed these events, support the statements made by Stancic and Ristic concerning the beatings.

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 and also 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, July 8th, 2002

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.