************************************************************** INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE TO DEFEND SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC ICDSM Sofia-New York-Moscow www.icdsm.org ************************************************************** Velko Valkanov, Ramsey Clark, Alexander Zinoviev (Co-Chairmen), Klaus Hartmann (Chairman of the Board), Vladimir Krsljanin (Secretary), Christopher Black (Chair, Legal Committee), Tiphaine Dickson (Legal Spokesperson) ************************************************************** 14 August 2005 Special Circular **************************************************************
Protest the attack on President Milosevic's defence in Germany! Dear friends, The situation caused by the attack of the German financial authorities on the German Section of ICDSM, has not been changed yet, paralyzing the fundraising activity of high importance for the normal functioning of the coworkers of President Milosevic at The Hague in the final stage of presentation of his case. The attack is in apparent violation of the basic right to defense, so we call upon you to send your protest letters to the German authorities in charge: Amtsgericht Darmstadt Mathildenplatz 12 (Gebaeude B) D-64283 Darmstadt Germany Fax: +49-6151-12-6455 and Oberfinanzdirektion Koblenz Postfach 100764 D-67433 Neustadt an der Weinstraße Germany Fax: +49-6321-894-938 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] reffering to the case "Ermittlungsverfahren E 5084/04-515". As you already know, on July 19, 2005, the customs police (Oberfinanzdirektion Koblenz apparently acting on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Finance), searched the apartment of Peter Betscher, ICDSM member in charge of finance, seized his computer, files and documents and frozen the bank account. The lawyer, representing Peter Betscher, has requested access to records, which until now has been refused by the Oberfinanzdirektion Koblenz. In September 2003 the funds collected by the German Section of ICDSM for the defence of President Milosevic were once already been frozen by a German bank on the basis of a circular letter issued by the same Oberfinanzdirektion Koblenz. It must be noted that the Oberfinanzdirektion Koblenz is now demonstrating a surprising disregard of previous rulings by organs of the German judiciary: In another case the prosecutor of a German regional court (Generalstaatsanwalt des Oberlandesgerichts Frankfurt; ref.: 6 Js GStA612/03) held, that collecting donations in order to cover the defence costs of Mr. Milosevic can from no point of view be considered as punishable. When in 2003 the German branch of ICDSM took legal action against the bank which had frozen the ICDSM funds, a German local court (Amtsgericht Darmstadt; ref.: 300 C 393/03) decided as follows: "Furthermore the reference made by the defendant to the Commission Regulation (EC) 1205/2001 does not seem sufficient to the court. On the one hand it is already questionable, whether in view of its content the regulation would apply to the case concerned, as it stipulates that such funds and financial means should be frozen, which belong to Mr. Milosevic or persons associated with him. In view of the court this does not apply to collecting funds destined for a defence, as it is assumed that the issue is about a legal assistance fund and not about handing over the funds to Slobodan Milosevic. According to basic principles of the rule of law every person has the right to have a proper defence in a criminal court, so that as a matter of principal there is no objection to collecting donations for a person who until found guilty has to be assumed innocent." On the basis of this decision the funds were released. The German state action against the defence of President Milosevic is allegedly based on EC Regulations imposing a "freeze of funds in relation to Mr Milosevic and those persons associated with him": Council Regulation (EC) No 2488/2000 of 10 November 2000 - http://europa.eu.int/eur-ex/lex/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32000R248 8:EN:HTML revised by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1205/2001 of 19 June 2001 http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32001R12 05:EN:HTML Already a basic common sense, but more than that, the valid court decisions show that these EC regulations can in no way be used to justify a violation of a fundamental human right - the right of every person to have a proper defence in a criminal court. Please send the protest letters to the addresses above in order to end as soon as possible this completely illegal situation and to enable our German members to continue in normal way the fundraising activity. Please contact us in order to find together the best way to bridge the current unbearable situation, that endangers the normal work at The Hague. I thank Klaus von Raussendorff, the secretary of the German ICDSM for providing the accurate information about the issue. Vladimir Krsljanin, Secretary of the ICDSM, Foreign Relations Assistant to President Milosevic ************************************************************* URGENT FUNDRAISING APPEAL ****************************** President Milosevic has the truth and law on his side. In order to use that advantage to achieve his freedom, we must fight th is totally discredited tribunal and its patrons through professionally conducted actions which would involve the Bar Associations, the European Court, the UN organs in charge and the media. Our practice has shown that ad hoc voluntary work is not enough to deal properly with these tasks. The funds secured in Serbia are still enough only to cover the expenses of the stay and work of President Milosevic's legal associates at The Hague (one at the time). The funds secured by the German section of the ICDSM (still the only one with regular contributions) are enough only to cover minimal additional work at The Hague connected with contacts and preparations of foreign witnesses. Everything else is lacking. These days, the fundraising activity of the German section was a target of a groundless attack of the customs police in Germany. This makes the need for your extraordinary effort dramaticaly urgent! *********************************************************** 3000-5000 EUR per month is our imminent need. Our history and our people oblige us to go on with this necessary action. But without these funds it will not be possible. Please organize urgently the fundraising activity and send the donations to the following ICDSM account: Vereinigung für Internationale Solidarität (VIS) 4000 Basel, Switzerland PC 40-493646-5 or to the account of the Italian section of the ICDSM: Conto Corrente Postale numero 86557006 intestato ad Adolfo Amoroso, ROMA causale: DIFESA MILOSEVIC ************************************************************ All of your donations will be used for legal and other necessary accompanying activities, on instruction or with the consent of President Milosevic. To obtain additional information on the use of your donations or to obtain additional advice on the most efficient way to submit your donations or to make bank transfers, please do not hesitate to contact us: Peter Betscher (ICDSM Treasurer) E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: +49 172 7566 014 Vladimir Krsljanin (ICDSM Secretary) E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: +381 63 8862 301 *************************************************************** For truth and human rights against aggression! Freedom for Slobodan Milosevic! Freedom and equality for people! On behalf of Sloboda and ICDSM, Vladimir Krsljanin, Foreign Relations Assistant to President Milosevic ************************************************************* 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.free-slobo-uk.org/ (CDSM UK) http://www.icdsm-us.org/ (US section of ICDSM) http://www.icdsmireland.org/ (ICDSM Ireland) http://www.pasti.org/milodif.htm (ICDSM Italy) http://www.wpc-in.org/ (world peace council) http://www.geocities.com/b_antinato/ (Balkan antiNATO center) Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
