[L-I] OPEN LETTER TO THE DANISH PRIME MINISTER

OPEN LETTER TO THE DANISH PRIME MINISTER

Copenhagen, 25 September, 2003

Dear Anders Fogh Rasmussen,

May I draw your attention to the current position at the U.N. International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, where the
Prosecution's case in the socalled "trial" against the former President of
The
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, mr. Slobodan Milosevic, is now grinding
towards its final halt, - after next to two years of proceedings.
On the eve of the Prosecution's case, new accusations have been levelled
against mr. Milosevic by Belgrade authorities, to which he has responded
with
calm and clarity (1).

As you will probably have learned these ICTY proceedings were cancelled for
most of this week (Tuesday 23 to Friday 26 September) due to the ill health
of
the accused; I have just been informed by mr. Krsljanin, the secretary of
the
SLOBODA/Freedom Association in Belgrade, that mr. Milosevic is actually
deemed
to be in a life-threatening situation.

The former president, I am told, suffers from malignant hypertension and his
heart is damaged. Now in permanent risk of a heart attack or a brain-stroke
his health and ability to stand the second half of the process cannot be
recuperated under prison conditions.

The ICTY has flagrantly violated legal norms by failing to provide adequate
medical attention for mr. Milosevic (2), by denying visitation rights to his
closest advisors (3) and by threatening to deny him adequate conditions for
the preparation of his defence case (4).

The recent decision of the Tribunal (2 September, 2003) to give mr.
Milosevic
only three months to prepare his defence case in the prison, which has been
widely protested internationally, in my opinion serves to prove that the
Tribunal unfairly aims at making the task of the former president impossible
by depriving him of reasonable conditions and by increasing the threat to
his
life.

Mr. Milosevic has argued for two years of preparation in freedom, - a demand
that I hereby wish to expressly support.

I urge you to use your good office to secure, that as from now mr. Milosevic
be given a fair trial with respect for internationally accepted legal norms
and under complete equality of arms.

yours sincerely,

Godfred Louis-Jensen, architect


References:

(1) President Milosevic's public response to the charges, 17 August 2003

http://www.sloboda.org.yu/engleski/slobaE170803.htm


(2) Appeal to the Tribunal by 10 medical doctors, 18 September 2003

http://www.icdsm.org/more/gemdoctors3.htm


(3) Letter to the Tribunal by ICDSM co-chair Valkanov and attorneys Black,
Kuznecov and Verges of the ICDSM Legal Committee, 26 August 2003

http://www.icdsm.org/more/isolat.htm


(3) Statement of the Russian Parliamentarians in Duma, 12 September 2003

http://www.icdsm.org/more/ruspar.htm


(3) Statement of the U.S. Section of the ICDSM, 13 September 2003

http://www.icdsm.org/more/icdsmus1.htm


(4) Statement of the Russian Section of the ICDSM, 18 September 2003

http://www.icdsm.org/more/ruscom180903.htm



c.c. SLOBODA/Freedom Association




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)



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