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Initiative
von in Deutschland praktizierenden �rzten und Therapeuten
Initiative of medical doctors and therapists practising in Germany Dr.
med. Uta Mader, Matthias Jochheim, Prof. Dr. med. habil. Ilse Eisen-Hagemann,
Dr. phil. Hans-Peter Brenner, Prof. Dr. med. habil. Ingeborg Rapoport, Prof. Dr.
med. Dr. phil. Dr. hc. mult. Samuel Mitja Rapoport, Dr. med. Christa
Anders, Dr. med. Ernst
Bellmer, Dr. med. Iris Jonkanski, Dr. med. Michel H�hn, Barbara M�hlfeld
To: Mr. Theodor
Meron Mr. Richard
May Mr. Steven
Kay Mr. Branislav
Tapuskovic ICTY Churchillplein
1 NL - 2517 JW The
Hague
18.09.2003 Dear
Sirs! Since the
submissions we made to you last November and December the proceedings against
Mr. Slobodan Milosevic had to be repeatedly interrupted for health reasons;
since the summer recess alone this has happened numerous times. Early this week
for the first time a proceeding already in session had to be interrupted due to
an acute attack of heart and vascular disease. What is relevant
regarding this had been communicated already by the cardiologist Dr. P. R. M.
van Dijkman, appointed by your side, when in his report dated November 18, 2002,
he confirmed “essential hypertension with secondary organ damage”, “during trial
there recurred a steep increase in blood pressure up to around 220/130 mmHg”, “a
condition that looks like a hypertension emergency” and when he mentioned “the
possibility of coronary disease, cerebrovascular accident, heart attack and
death”. Recent events
compel us to seriously raise the issue of your duty to exercise proper care and
supervision. It’s true that for some time there were no reports about any drugs
being contraindicated or having unacceptable side effects. On the other hand
there is still no regular cardiologic supervision taking place, which to us
seems irresponsible in view of the known health condition.
Although with an
irresponsibly delay, finally after one year there was a reduction of the number
of trial sessions per week and session hours per day. On the other hand, the
volume of material produced by the prosecution is said to have been increased
this year on top of the already existing 500,000 pages DIN A4 by another 400,000
pages, not to mention the video and audio tapes. Such a volume would be
impossible for any person to deal with during the allotted time; in this case
the lack of time amounts to a serious stress factor directly threatening his
health. When Mrs. Del Ponte
in her interview with Neue Z�rcher Zeitung dated July 18, 2003, stated with
regard to the health condition of Mr. Milosevic: “He is in very, very good
health. Many people at the age of 60 or more are suffering from high blood
pressure. We won’t comfort him. I hope that you don’t get the impression we
would”, this diametrically contradicts the medical findings and procedural
proposals repeatedly dealt with by the Third Chamber. It also contradicts the
relevant UN-Resolutions concerning the treatment of prisoners. We very much hope
that the cynicism expressed by Mrs. Del Ponte is an exceptional phenomenon and
is not in any way representative of the attitude taken by your institution as a
whole. We appeal to you, considering Mr. Milosevic’s
hypertension and increased infarct risk, not to practice any kind of such
“non-comforting” treatment. It is technically impossible during the allotted
time to deal with the amount of material presented by the prosecution, which
causes serious but avoidable stress. Even for a young healthy person this would
be an extraordinary task. In the present case for the preparation of the defence
after the prosecution has finished their case it is indispensable to interrupt
the proceedings for a longer period. Mr. Milosevic has demanded an interruption
and his release for a period of two years. It is a question for the discretion
of the trial chamber, to examine this demand from the point of view of “equality
of arms”, since the prosecution has had more than two years to prepare its case,
not to mention the staff at its disposal. At least with respect to the health condition the time
granted now for the preparation of the defence of only three months is totally
insufficient, as it will irresponsibly increase the risk and stress factors. Mr.
Milosevic should be provisionally released for an adequate, longer period of
time, so that during the preparation of his defence he can have medical
treatment and control by his long time doctors in
Belgrade. Respectfully in order signed Dr. med. Uta Mader, K�ln Spokesperson for the Initiative, Medical Doctor,
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW – Nobel Peace
Prize 1985), Association of Democratic Doctors (VD�� in the German
initials) signed Matthias Jochheim, Frankfurt/Main, Medical Doctor and
Psychotherapist, IPPNW signed. Prof. Dr. med. habil. Ilse Eisen-Hagemann, Berlin,
Medical Doctor signed Dr. phil. Hans-Peter Brenner, Bonn,
Psychological Psychotherapist, Kassen�rztliche Vereinigung Koblenz,
signed Prof. Dr. med. habil. Ingeborg Rapoport, Berlin, Medical
Doctor signed Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Dr. hc. mult. Samuel Mitja
Rapoport, Berlin, Medical Doctor signed Dr. med. Christa Anders, Berlin, Medical
Doctor signed Dr. med. Ernst Bellmer, Erzhausen,
Internist signed Dr. med. Iris Jonkanski, Brinckheim (Frankreich),
Medical Doctor signed Barbara M�hlfeld, Frankfurt/Main, Medical
Doctor (reference to organisations for information
only)
The above text is an unoficial English translation of the German original. SLOBODA INVITES MEDICAL
DOCTORS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO ENDORSE THE APPEAL OF THEIR GERMAN COLLEAGUES OR
TO ADDRESS THE TRIBUNAL WITH THEIR OWN APPEALS
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) |
