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THE EU AND THE
SERBIAN CIVIL SOCIETY
By Sonja Biserko |
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The response of the
Serbian leadership to the declaration of independence of Kosovo demonstrated the deep and
dangerous impact of the long-standing radical nationalism on the internal social and moral
fiber of |
the nation. The
response also demonstrated the continuous threat that the developments in Serbia represent
for the security and the democratic consolidation of the region. The Serbian political
class demonstrated again its inability to renounce the Greater Serbia project and find a
way out of the nationalistic metastasis. The inflammatory rightist rhetoric and planned
demolition of foreign embassies and Liberal Democratic Party offices across Serbia, along
with an increased NGO demonization, have shown the depth of anti-Western and anti-European
nature of the... |
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FASCIST GRAFFITI AND MOLOTOV COCKTAIL AGAINST A MUSLIM FAMILY IN PALIC
Press release
Belgrade, April 24, 2008.
Less than two weeks ago, the RTV B92 and some newspapers in Serbia
carried the Helsinki Committee's information about fascist graffiti on Zijad Kulovic's
house in Palic. Since neither the police nor local authorities reacted to the incident,
Republican Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic visited the Kulovic family soon after the information
reached him. Thanks to Mr. Jankovic, the graffiti were wiped out and the police promised
to track down perpetrators. Late last night a Molotov cocktail was hurled at Zijad
Kulovic's house. Today Mr. Kujovic and his son Samir informed the Helsinki Committee about
this latest, more violent assault, which they had immediately reported to the police. The
Committee, for its part, informed the office of the Republican Ombudsman about new
developments. The Helsinki Committee appeals to all... |
WHY NOT EUROPE?
Novi Sad, April 11, 2008 |
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The Helsinki Committee for
Human Rights in Serbia, on Friday April 11th 2008, in the Parliament of the Autonomous
Province of Vojvodina held a panel titled "Why not Europe?". The panelists were
composed from members of the Serbian media and individuals from the NGO movement such as
Borka Pavicevic, Teofil Pancic, Svetlana Lukic and were moderated by Ivan Kuzminovic... |
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A BLOW AGAINST MINORITIES
Press release
Belgrade, April 10, 2008
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia strongly protests
against the decision whereby the Republican Electoral Commission, only one month before
the scheduled elections, annulled the rule providing that signatures by 3,000 citizens
suffice for submission of minority electoral lists. The prior rule was advantageous to
minority parties as it made it possible for them to actively partake in Serbia's
parliamentary life. Subsequent changes of electoral rules once again testify that Serbia
lacks a coherent minority policy. Its electoral legislation is obviously prone to
voluntaristic interventions and partisan interests. Despite the fact that the
Constitutional Court of Serbia acted by law, its decision, made at the initiative of the
Serbian Radical Party, clearly plays into the hands of that party now struggling for every
parliamentary seat in attempt to finally overrule Serbia. It was the... |
WHY PROSECUTION FAILED TO PROVE WHAT 'EVERYBODY KNOWS' - PART THREE
OBVIOUS NEED NOT BE TRUE
The Hague, 09.04.2008.
Ramush Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj, three former KLA
commanders, were charged with dozens of murder. The prosecution called the most evidence
and most witnesses to prove the murder of a Kosovo Albanian woman, Sanije Balaj. A total
of thirteen witnesses took the stand to testify about her murder. This is one of the
reasons why the Trial Chamber dealt with her case most comprehensively in the judgment
acquitting Haradinaj and Balaj and convicting Brahimaj, who was sentenced to six years in
prison, on two out of thirty-seven counts in the indictment. Another reason for this focus
was because the Trial Chamber wanted to show that things that are "obvious' or that
'everybody knows' need not be true. The judges acknowledge that it might have seemed
'obvious' to them too that Sanije Balaj was killed while she was detained by the KLA... |
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WHY DID PROSECUTION FAIL TO PROVE WHAT 'EVERYBODY KNOWS' - PART TWO
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 'PROBABILITY' AND EVIDENCE 'BEYOND REASONABLE
DOUBT'
The Hague, 08.04.2008.
The failure of the prosecution to prove who killed 30 Albanians, Serbs
and Roma whose bodies were found in September 1998 in the Radonjic Lake canal is one of
the reasons why the Trial Chamber acquitted former KLA commanders Ramush Haradinaj and
Idriz Balaj. Only Lahi Brahimaj was convicted on only two of the 37 counts in the
indictment. The prosecution claimed that they were all killed while 'they were in the KLA
hands'. The defense denied this allegation, noting that it was possible that the bodies
had been planted by the Serbian police or army. The Trial Chamber rejected the defense
claims about 'planted bodies', but it did not accept the prosecution argument that they
were all victims of the KLA. In the view of the Trial Chamber, the evidence called during... |
WHY DID PROSECUTION FAIL TO PROVE WHAT 'EVERYBODY KNOWS'
The Hague, 07.04.2008.
Insistence on the fact that the trial went on in an atmosphere of fear
and on substantial problems both the Trial Chamber and the prosecution faced in dealing
with witnesses who didn't feel safe despite the protection measures sounded almost as an
excuse for the judgment delivered to Haradinaj, Balaj and Brahimaj. Haradinaj and Balaj
were acquitted and Brahimaj was sentenced on only two of the thirty-seven counts in the
indictment. The judgment came as a surprise to those who had not followed the trial,
causing resentment among those who needed no evidence to 'know' that the accused were
guilty. A reminder, then, of the words of Louise Arbour, former chief prosecutor, from
1997, before 'everybody knew' who and what Ramush Haradinaj was. When she was asked why
she hadn't already indicted Arkan and Seselj, Arbour replied:... |
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