|
To: Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights – Geneva World Health
Organization – Geneva International Committee of
the Red Cross - Geneva Copies
to: Office of The UN Secretary
General – New York The Permanent Missions
of the Members of the UN Security Council – New
York Belgrade, August 29,
2003
Dear Sirs,
As an NGO dealing with issues of human rights, democracy and peace, a
pending member of The World Peace Council, we would like to draw your attention
and urge your immediate reaction to protect life, health and fundamental rights
of the long term democratically elected President of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia and of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Slobodan Milosevic, presently
detained in UN Detention Unit at The Hague, The Netherlands.
The most extensive specialist medical report about the health condition
of President Milosevic in detention, made on November 18, 2002 by the
cardiologist Dr P. R. M. van Dijkman, appointed by the ICTY
says:
“Essential
hypertension with secondary organ damage: hypertrophy of the left ventricle.
(...) In recent weeks during trial again steep increase in blood pressure up to
around 220/130 mmHg. (...) During the tiring process of the trial, Mr Milosevic
experiences a condition that looks like hypertensive urgency.
(…)
Reducing (seriously) increased blood pressure also reduces the
possibility of coronary disease, cerebrovascular accident, heart attack and
death. (…)
It can be concluded that with combination of sufficient rest and
medication the level of Mr. Milosevic’s blood pressure will be an acceptable
one. (…)
I agree (…) that the pressure of the trial may lead to extreme exhaustion
on the part of Mr. Milosevic. (…)
I leave it to the Tribunal to decide in what way sufficient rest periods
can be incorporated in the trial.”
In February 2003, President Milosevic has been examined also by a
specialists’ medical team form Belgrade. Serbian doctors agreed with their Dutch
colleagues appointed by ICTY that the health situation of President Milosevic
requires regular specialists’ monitoring. But since then, in spite our many
times repeated requests, there was no more specialists’ examination and the
access of the Belgrade doctors to President Milosevic was
denied.
With the lack of proper medical care, with the denial to the Belgrade
doctors to perform regular check-ups, and with the trial burden (two years
lasting prosecution case with at least five hours of every day court sessions)
in obvious contradiction with the above doctor’s recommendation, the ICTY as a
subsidiary organ of the UN Security Council, bears great responsibility for the
life and health of President Milosevic and acts in violation to UN documents
securing the fundamental human rights.
There are also other examples of arbitrary and illegal behavior of ICTY
in relation to President Milosevic, such as their recent decision to ban all the
visits of his close associates.
We are convinced that only the provisional release of President Milosevic
for medical treatment and recuperation, can secure his life and health and can
secure that the truth will be achieved in the subsequent continuation of the
process.
For further information, we can be reached by phones +381 63 8862 301 and
+381 11 630 206 and by fax +381 11 630 549.
We call you upon to act in accordance with your responsibilities and to
act urgently. Respectfully,
SLOBODA urgently needs
your donation.
Please find the detailed instructions at: http://www.sloboda.org.yu/pomoc.htm To join or help this struggle, visit:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/ (Sloboda/Freedom association) http://www.icdsm.org/ (the international committee to defend Slobodan Milosevic) http://www.free-slobo.de/ (German section of ICDSM) http://www.icdsmireland.org/ (ICDSM Ireland) http://www.wpc-in.org/ (world peace council) http://www.geocities.com/b_antinato/ (Balkan antiNATO center) |
