03 March 2004
Amnesty International Urges Serbia to Honor Rights Commitments
New report deplores refusal to transfer indictees to war crimes tribunal
Serbian authorities are obstructing the International Criminal Tribunal
for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in bringing alleged perpetrators of war
crimes to justice, the human rights advocacy organization Amnesty International
charges in a new report released March 3.
The organization is calling on the Council of Europe to "take cognizance
of the lack of progress" in "addressing the past legacy of war
crimes, and the continuing prevalence of police torture and ill-treatment" and
to "use its influence" to help Serbia and Montenegro "fulfil
its commitments aimed at ensuring respect for and protection of human rights
of all persons."
The report also details "continuing discrimination against Roma," according
to a March 3 Amnesty International press statement.
The report is available at:
http://www.amnesty.org/
Following is the Amnesty International statement:
(begin text)
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
3 March 2004
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGES THE HONOURING OF HUMAN
RIGHTS COMMITMENTS
On the occasion of Serbia and Montenegro's ratification of the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR)
and the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, Amnesty International
today released a report: Serbia and Montenegro: Amnesty International's concerns
and Serbia and Montenegro's commitments to the Council of Europe, (AI Index:
EUR 70/002/2004).
Amnesty International welcomed the steps, such as the ratification of the
ECHR, taken by Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) towards fulfilling some of the
commitments taken by SCG on entering the Council of Europe in April last
year. However, the organization remains concerned at SCG's ongoing failure
to fulfil some of the key commitments, notably those referring to addressing
the past legacy of war crimes, and the continuing prevalence of police torture
and ill-treatment. Amnesty International called on the Council of Europe
to take cognizance of the lack of progress, and to use its influence to help
SCG fully fulfil its commitments aimed at ensuring respect for and protection
of human rights of all persons.
In the report, Amnesty International deplores the refusal by the authorities
to transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(Tribunal) people indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity such
as Sreten Lukia who remains in office as Serbian Assistant Interior Minister
and Chief of Public Security Department. He and three other generals, former
army chief Nebojša Pavkovia, former commander of Priština Corps Vladimir
Lazarevia, and former Assistant Interior Minister and former Chief of Public
Security Department Vlastimir ?or?evia, were indicted by the Tribunal on
2 October 2003 for crimes against humanity and violating the laws or customs
of law in Kosovo in 1999. By refusing to transfer them, the authorities are
obstructing the Tribunal in bringing alleged perpetrators to justice.
Amnesty International continues to call for all those responsible for war
crimes and crimes against humanity to be brought to justice. In the report
the organization especially noted the scandal of Batajnica, where over 700
murdered Kosovo Albanian civilians were buried in secret graves in an Interior
Ministry compound, and that after over four and half years still no domestic
indictments have been served for this crime against humanity. Amnesty International
also calls for the introduction of legislation criminalizing command responsibility
for certain crimes under international humanitarian law, including war crimes
and crimes against humanity.
Amnesty International also remains deeply concerned about allegations of
torture and ill-treatment of detainees by security forces and the apparent
lack of adequate, if any, investigations into these widespread and credible
allegations of torture including asphyxiation by taping bags over the head,
beatings, electric shocks to the head and body, and mock executions. The
organization believes that there are serious deficiencies in addressing ongoing
police torture and ill-treatment at all levels in the system: from the police,
through to the prosecutors and investigative judges, on to the judgments
of some of the courts themselves including problems in implementing court
decisions awarding damages to victims. The combination of these failures
has perpetuated a climate of impunity similarly to that surrounding war crimes
and crimes against humanity.
The report also detailed Amnesty International's concerns at the continuing
discrimination against Roma, especially Kosovo Roma displaced following the
1999 conflict, as well as concerns at aspects of legislation which for the
first time introduced a genuine alternative to military service for conscientious
objectors.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department
of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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