[A-PAL] a-pal newsletter 3/11/01

[Alice Mead]

A-PAL : URGENT!
MARCH 11, 2001



                     A-PAL REQUEST FOR HELP: ACT NOW!!!!


To our relief and delight, one hundred and fifty Albanian prisoners 
were released this weekend from Serbian prisons. However 
approximately five hundred were left behind, not included so far in 
the Amnesty Law. The Humanitarian Law Center in Belgrade has a 
recommendation for the  process they suggest for the remaining 
prisoners.

We need your help in emailing European, UN, and US organizations and 
leaders urging them to immediately take a position supporting this 
recommendation. If you know of any human rights organizations who can 
help, email them too.
Below is a suggested letter. Please adapt it or use it in any way you 
feel is necessary. But don't delay!

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

March 11, 2001
Dear _____________________ ,

By this weekend, one hundred and fifty ethnic Albanian prisoners have 
been allowed to go home, following the enactment of the FRY Amnesty 
Law. Thousands of relatives and friends welcomed them back in joyous 
reunions in Kosova.

However, to date, five hundred Albanian prisoners still remain in 
Serbian prisons. Supposedly, these cases will be subjected to a 
judicial review. The Humanitarian Law Center in Belgrade has stated 
on March 7, that Yugoslavia have without reason denied amnesty to 250 
remaining Albanians, many of whom are still undergoing trials. In 
addition, the 143 members of the Gjakova group have yet to be 
pardoned. Nine prisoners were recommended for humanitarian release 
due to untreated injuries suffered at the Dubrava massacre in May, 
1999. Some others are up for parole.

We urge you to support the HLC recommendation that "the defects in 
the Amnesty Law be rectified by scheduling an early session of the 
Serbian Supreme Court" at which the appeals, pardons, paroles and 
dismissals could be resolved at once, and that outside observers from 
human rights groups, OSCE, the UN and embassies observe these 
procedings.

Sincerely,

_________________________
At the UN--email for a meeting on Kosova on March 16, 2001:

1. USA at usaun at undp.org
2. UK  at   uk at un.it
3. Ukraine at  ukrun at undp.org
4. Russian Fed.  rusun at un.int
5. Malaysia       mysun at undp.org
6. Netherlands   netherlands at un.int
7. France         france at un.int
8. China       chinun at undp.org
9. Canada    canada at un.int

THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL IS to MAINTAIN PEACE AND 
SECURITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF THE UN...THESE INCLUDE 
THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS. THE PRISONER ISSUE IS A VIOLATION OF GENEVA 
CONVENTIONS 3 AND 4. ALL PARTIES HERE ARE CO-SIGNERS, AND ARE 
THEREFORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELFARE OF 
PRISONERS:____________________________________________
EU
Javier Solana                    Tony Blair: gbrun at undp.org
Council Secretariat              OSCE Secretariat: info at osce.org
Rue de la Loi 1715               Jaques Chirac-fraun at undp.org
Brussels B1048                   Colin Powell-secretary at state.gov
Belgium                          US Senate For. Affairs--Sen. 
Wellstone,                   Helms, Biden, Lieberman

US CSCE Committee-Chairmen Sen Nighthorse, Rep. Chris Smith-  at 
bob.hand at mail.house.gov.  OSCE/State Dept.- odlumGX at state.gov
Sweden For. Affaits miniter-Lady Gun-Britt Andersson-
gun-britt.andersson at foreign.ministry.se
OSCE Secretariat--- info at osce.org
Amnesty International - amnestyis at amnesty.org

____________________________________________________________
EP members active in the prisoner campaign
Bart Staes-b.staes at europarl.eu.int
A. Oostlander-a.oostlander at europarl.eu.int
B. Emma Bonino -e.bonino at agora.stm.it
C. Olivier Dupuis-o.dupuis at agora.stm.it
D. Peter Walsh-pwa at gofree.indigo.ie
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