ICDSM - ITALIAN SECTION

Rome, 21/9/2003


PRESS STATEMENT

Today, in Rome, after the general Assembly of the Coordinamento Nazionale
per la Jugoslavia, the Italian Section of the International Committee for
the Defence of Slobodan Milosevic (ICDSM), was established. At its
constitution, along the lines and principles of similar national sections of
the ICDSM in many other countries, the Italian Section numbers 14 members,
including writers, university professors, journalists, teachers, antifascist
and human rights activists of several walks of life.

The Italia Section shall work in full cooperation with the coordinating
leadership of the ICDSM in Belgrade and Europe, as its official
representative in Italy. Spokesmen for the Section are Dr. Andrea Martocchia,
journalist Dr. Fulvio Grimaldi, vice-chairman of  ICDSM internationally,
and International Law professor at Teramo University, Dr. Aldo Bernardini.
Among  members are Miriam Pellegrini Ferri and Spartaco Ferri,
partisans in the liberation struggle against nazifascism,
who also provide the Section's headquarters and postal address,
in Rome.

The Italian Section of the ICDSM rejects the legitimacy of the Hague
cangaroo court in its trial against Slobodan Milosevic and all others
accused. It also protests the gross violations of fundamental legal,
democratic and human rights inflicted upon President Milosevic. Being
equally committed to the struggle of the Serbian and Jugoslav people, as
well as of all others peoples, against aggression and colonisation, the
Italian Section views this trial as a further act of  political and
propaganda warfare against the people of Serbia and against the basic rights
of the whole of humanity.

The Italian Section of the ICDSM charges the International Tribunal on
Yugoslavia in The Hague and the US government with falsifying war crimes
charges against President Milosevic solely for the purpose of manipulating
public opinion against the people of Serbia and justifying NATO's barbaric
78-day campaign of terror against Yugoslavia in 1999, as well as to deflect
attention from the real crimes against the people of Yugoslavia committed by
the US and its NATO allies over the last thirteen years, including the break
up of Yugoslavia and the imposition of authoritarian neo-colonial regimes in
each of the former republics.

As its first acts the Italian Section is issuing its urgent protest to the
UN Security Council, the UN Secretary General, the International Red Cross,
various governments, against the ICTY's most recent violations of the law
and of human rights with regard to the illegal and inhuman treatment
inflicted upon Slobodan Milosevic.

The Italian Section of the ICDSM  supports the International ICDSM
demonstration in The Hague on 8th November 2003, demanding the closure of
the illegal "Tribunal", freedom for Milosevic, "prisoner of lies", and
sovereign rights and justice for the Serbian people. It is also launching a
campaign to inform public opinion about the truth of  events in Yugoslavia
and of President Milosevic's acts and policies, with the parallel aim of
collecting funds for his Defence.

ICDSM - Italian Section
C/o GAMADI,
Via Leonardo Da Vinci 27
00043 CIAMPINO (Rome), Italy
e-mail: icdsm-italia@libero.it
Messages should be directed to the above address, as well as to the previous
e-mail addresses internationally used for correspondence with Italy.



TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS, KOFI ANNAN
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL
TO THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, FRANCE, RUSSIAN FEDERATION,
BIELORUSSIA, UNITED KINGDOM, ITALY, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA, AND OTHERS.
TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS

Expressing the feelings of a large section of Italian public opinion, the
Italian Section of the International Committee for the Defence of Slobodan
Milosevic (ICDSM) denounces the serious violations of universally recognised
human rights and of legal and moral rules on the part of the so-called
International Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (installed upon a Security
Council mandate) that are being committed in this tribunal's trial against
Slobodan Milosevic, a former long-year president of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia.

In the course of its so-called statutory meeting, on 2nd September 2003, the
Hague Tribunal has again proven its unreadiness to abide by the principle of
parity between prosecution and defence rights, which, nevertheless, it
formally recognises. Any impartial observer would draw the conclusion that a
new Inquisition is operating within the framework of the United Nations,
with the only purpose of supporting NATO's interests and aims in the
Balkans. The permanent members of the Security Council would have to
shoulder the responsibility for the above.

The Tribunal also rejected President Milosevic's proposal of a two-year
break in the trial, for the purpose of allowing him to prepare his defence
by means of exposure of facts and calling of witnesses, in order to counter
with the truth the lies, frauds, partialities gathered in two years by the
so-called Prosecution, with the help of  intelligence services from various
important countries, substantial UN budget funds, and the work of hundred of
persons. Next to having at its disposal unlimited resources, the Prosecution
had the opportunity to collect materials since May 1999, for over four
years, and has been using documents and materials collected from the time of
the Tribunal's establishment in 1993. To top the Tribunal's onesidedness and
its refusal to comply with fundamental human rights, now came its decision
to respond to President Milosevic's demand of a two-year break  by granting
only an offensive and ludicrous three-month suspension.

We also denounce  that, by imposing upon President Milosevic, already
suffering from heavy illness, extremely onerous trial sessions, and by
refusing adequate medical care, the Tribunal threatens President Milosevic's
health and life.

Visits by his family's members and by his closest associates, members of his
Defence Committee and Party, have been heavily restricted, thus again
denying elementary defence rights. Finally, President Milosevic has been
strictly denied any contact with the media while, on the other hand, the
Prosecution entertains with these media daily exchanges.

In the light of President Milosevic's precarious health conditions, for the
purpose of equality between the rights of the parties and in the interest of
justice and truth, we demand that the Hague trial be suspended for the
duration of two years and that President Milosevic be freed, in order to
allow for his treatment and ensure the minimal conditions for the
preparation of his defence by means of  documents and witnesses he might
reckon necessary, putting an end to the constant and extremely serious
violations of the defence's rights.

The only alternative to the above denounciations and demands would be the
illegal tribunal's immediate abolition, in order not to further damage the
prestige and respectability of this world organisation and of the
governments that shoulder the major responsibilities for its decisions.

Rome, 21st September 2003.

The Italian Section of the International Committee for the Defence of
Slobodan Milosevic
(Dr. Andrea Martocchia, Prof. Aldo Bernardini, Dr. Fulvio Grimaldi)

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