[A-PAL] A-PAL NEWSLETTER 12/21/01

[Alice Mead]

Albanian Prisoner Advocacy (A-PAL)
December 21, 2001




         A-PAL STATEMENT-203 Albanians Remain in Serb Prisons

Now, this is very interesting!
While 203 Albanian prisoners remain in Serbia for their third hoiday 
season-- indicted by artificially created courts(created by Milosevic 
at the end of the NATO war), the person who was originally in charge 
of the abduction, massacre, torture, deprivation of liberty and civil 
rights of these Kosovar citizens is filing a claim at the European 
Court of Human Rights, claiming violations of his right to liberty 
and a fair trial.
When A-PAL advocates inquired at this same court of human rights as 
to whether the Albanian prisoners could bring a formal complaint 
there for the gross, ongoing violations of human rights, they were 
told that--the FRY, which continues to brutally persecute them, is 
not a member state, so they can't file a suit against them.
  This is justice? This is equality? The people who the FRY persecutes 
have no recourse, no protection under European law? But the citizens 
of FRY do?

Isn't this circular irony strange? Milosevic, as a citizen of FRY, 
can file a claim against member states, who have not abused his 
rights in the least, while ordinary citizens who have been tortured, 
some even to death,by individuals acting on behalf of Serbia's 
government cannot. Strange, also, is the fact that FRY has applied 
for membership to the Council of Europe, and their application is 
being seriously considered, even though the transfer of the 203 
Albanians is being endlessly delayed without cause or explanation. Or 
consequences.

Kostunica will not enact this transfer without real consequences. 
They can be financial and/or political, such as witholding the next 
installment of funds to the FRY or withholding integration into 
organizations like the EU and Council of Europe. That is the only 
hope for justice these 203 ordinary people have.

******************************************************************

from the European Court of Human Rights

Before the Strasbourg Court, Mr Milosevic relies on the following Articles
of the European Convention on Human Rights: 5 (right to liberty and
security), 6 (right to a fair trial), 10 (freedom of expression), 13 (right
to an effective remedy) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination). His
complaints are directed against his arrest and detention and the proceedings
currently conducted against him in the International Criminal Tribunal for
the Former Yugoslavia.
----~->

Council of Europe Press Release
Council of Europe Press Service
Tel. +33 3 88 41 25 60
Fax. +33 3 88 41 27 89
E-mail: PressUnit at coe.int


EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
	981
21.12.2001
Press release issued by the Registrar

Application by Slobodan Milosevic

On 20 December 2001 Mr Slobodan Milosevic, former President of the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia, filed an application with the European Court of
Human Rights. Mr Milosevic, who was born in 1940, is at present detained in
the UN detention centre, The Hague, the Netherlands.

Mr Milosevic's application is brought against the Netherlands, where on 31
August 2001 the President of the Hague Regional Court, in summary
proceedings taken by Mr Milosevic seeking his immediate release and return
to Yugoslavia, found that the Netherlands courts had no jurisdiction.

Before the Strasbourg Court, Mr Milosevic relies on the following Articles
of the European Convention on Human Rights: 5 (right to liberty and
security), 6 (right to a fair trial), 10 (freedom of expression), 13 (right
to an effective remedy) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination). His
complaints are directed against his arrest and detention and the proceedings
currently conducted against him in the International Criminal Tribunal for
the Former Yugoslavia.

Mr Milosevic is represented by, among others, Mr N.M.P. Steijnen, counsel,
of Zeist, the Netherlands.





Registry of the European Court of Human Rights
F - 67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Contacts:	Roderick Liddell (telephone: (0)3 88 41 24 92)
	Emma Hellyer (telephone: (0)3 90 21 42 15)
Fax: (0)3 88 41 27 91

The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg in 1959 to deal
with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. On
1 November 1998 a full-time Court was established, replacing the original
two-tier system of a part-time Commission and Court.
       Press Release
Council of Europe Press Service
Ref: 981a01
Contact: Press Service
Tel: +33 3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 3 88 41 27 89
pressunit at coe.int
internet: www.coe.int/press


To receive our press releases by e-mail, contact :
Council.of.Europe.Press at coe.int

A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to
promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops common
responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 43 member states.


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