[ALBSA-Info] Europe Council asks Skopje to give rebels amnesty

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Europe Council asks Skopje to give rebels amnesty

  
STRASBOURG, France, June 28 (Reuters) - The Council of Europe's Parliamentary 
Assembly urged Macedonia on Thursday to declare an amnesty for ethnic 
Albanian rebels who laid down their arms. 

A spokeswoman at the Strasbourg-based Council said the assembly sought 
amnesty for rebels who had not committed war crimes and renounced violence 
and handed in their weapons. 

The assembly, which brings together deputies from the human rights watchdog's 
43 member countries, issued the call in a six- point resolution after a 
debate on violence in the Balkans. 

The assembly strongly condemned the actions of Albanian extremist groups and 
urged them to lay down their arms, a statement from the Council said. 

It called on the parties in the coalition government to conclude an agreement 
to resolve the crisis, and supported international efforts to stabilise the 
situation and combat extremist violence. 

The assembly also asked Macedonia to allow the Albanian minority to use their 
language in dealings with the state and courts and to ensure that ethnic 
Albanians were properly represented in public bodies including police and the 
army. 

In separate recommendations, the assembly said the Council's Committee of 
Ministers should invite all member states to prohibit the financing of 
extremist groups and freeze their bank accounts.