[A-PAL] A-PAL NEWSLETTER 3/2/02

[Alice Mead]

>MARCH 2, 2002
  A-PAL(ALBANIAN PRISONER ADVOCACY)

>JOIN OUR EMAIL ACTION at www.dbein.bndlg.de/APP/




>

                 167 ALBANIANS REMAIN ILLEGALLY DETAINED IN
                           SERB PRISONS
           DESPITE A MARCH 31 DEADLINE ESTABLISHED BY US CONGRESS

                             A-PAL STATEMENT

>Despite intense pressure from foreign governments to transfer the 
>remaining Albanian prisoners to Kosova, President Kostunica and 
>Nebosja Covic have failed to cooperate. Since August, 2001, they 
>have claimed that court documents for the Albanians are not 
>available. Of the more than 2,000 prisoners who were released by 
>bribes, most were released without documents. This is not surprising 
>since nearly all of them arrived in Serbia without documents or 
>evidence in 1999.


  Documents or no documents, the March 31 deadline (text below) that 
will condition financial aid to Serbia is fast arriving. UNMIK 
officials have told families in Kosova that the prisoners will be 
released or transfered in March. Yet still, there is no reliable 
information that would indicate that this will occur.

  In addition to the US deadline on conditioning aid, many European 
foreign offices are stressing that FRY cannot be admitted to the 
Council of Europe until these people are returned to Kosova. The new 
UNMIK director, Michael Steiner, has told the UNSC that resolving 
this problem is his first priority.

So far,the entire advocacy campaign to release the prisoners has been 
conducted non-violently. KosovaSweden Union has filed kidnapping 
charges against Vojislav Kostunica for the ongoing illegal detention 
of one of the prisoners. Euro A-PAL action campaign based in Germany 
has sent 23,000 letters to European, American, UN, and Serb leaders 
stressing that the prisoners be returned to Kosova. Ireland Kosova 
Solidarity has made countless phone calls on behalf of prisoners. 
Human Rights Watch, Humanitarian Law Center and others have observed 
the irregular trials. Families of prisoners have demonstrated, signed 
petitions, met with officials, paid bribes, and spent all their 
savings sending food to their loved ones.

Serb leaders should appreciate the restraint, patience, and 
lawfulness demonstrated over the past 2 1/2 years by those whose 
loved ones are illegally held. We will accept the return of these 
people --to their human rights, liberties, and freedoms--with the 
apologies of those who have wronged them. At this point, we must add 
Kostunica, Djindic, and Covic to the list of those who have 
perpetrated this crime, the man at the top being Milosevic.
*******************************************************************
Support the Congressional Resolution! Block FRY admittance to Council 
of Europe!

    JOIN A-PAL EMAIL ACTION AT: www.dbein.bndlg.de/APP/

***********************************************************************
>
>  TEXT OF DECEMBER 2001 RESOLUTION ON CONDITIONING
>>FUNDING FOR SERBIA--sponsored by Senators Leahy,Helms,and McConnell
>>
>>SEC. 575. (a) Of funds made available in this Act, up to $115,000,000 may be
>>made available for assistance for Serbia: Provided, That none of 
>>these funds may be made available for assistance for Serbia after 
>>March 31, 2002, unless the President has made the determination and 
>>certification contained in subsection (c).
>>
>>(b) After March 31, 2002, the Secretary of the Treasury should instruct the
>>United States executive directors to the international financial
>>institutions to support loans and assistance to the Government of the
>>Federal Republic of Yugoslavia subject to the conditions in subsection (c):
>>Provided, That section 576 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and
>>Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1997, as amended, shall not apply to
>>the provision of loans and assistance to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
>>through international financial institutions.
>>
>>(c) The determination and certification referred to in subsection (a) is a
>>determination by the President and a certification to the Committees on
>>Appropriations that the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
>>is--
>>
>>(1) cooperating with the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia
>>including access for investigators, the provision of documents, and the
>>surrender and transfer of indictees or assistance in their apprehension;
>>
>>(2) taking steps, additional to those undertaken in fiscal year 2001, that
>>are consistent with the Dayton Accords to end Serbian financial, political,
>>security and other support which has served to maintain separate Republika
>>Srpska institutions; and
>>
>>(3) taking steps, additional to those undertaken in fiscal year 2001, to
>>implement policies which reflect a respect for minority rights and the rule
>>of law, including the release of all political prisoners from Serbian jails
>>and prisons.
>>
>>(d) Subsections (b) and (c) shall not apply to Montenegro, Kosovo,
>>humanitarian assistance or assistance to promote democracy in
>>municipalities.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 5247 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://www.alb-net.com/pipermail/a-pal/attachments/20020302/7ba67889/attachment.bin