Yougoslavia, Federal Rep.of
16.06.00
Urgent Interventions
Yougoslavia: harassment of NGOs
URGENT ACTION - THE OBSERVATORY
YUG 002 / 0006 / OBS 053
Harassment of NGOs
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
16th June 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH and OMCT venture, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Serbia.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory for human rights defenders has been alerted to a number of visits to Serbian NGOs by the police, accompanied by the financial police. According to the information received, they have entered the offices of a number of NGOs in Belgrade to check their financial books for a period of several days during which, reports indicate, human rights defenders have also been interrogated about their activities.
According to the information received, on June 7th 2000, the police entered into the offices of Women in Black. There, so-called ‘informative talks’ lasted 6 hours on one day during which Stasa Zajovic, member of Women in Black, was interrogated with regards to the organisations local and foreign contacts.
On June 8th 2000 the police visited the offices of the Center for Antiwar Action, member of the FIDH, for a period of at least five days to check their financial books and ask questions regarding their activities, how many activists they were and who the members of the board were.
Just days before these two visits, the Forum for Ethnical Relations received a visit from the police, whilst the President, Dusan Janjic was away. The premises of the organisation were sealed without an official reason.
The Helsinki Committee of lawyers for Human Rights in Serbia was also visited by the police who spent several days controlling their books.
Although these visits and control of books are within legal limits, in the context of an increased repression of democratic movements in Serbia, the Observatory believes that they constitute a form of harassment against NGOs in Serbia.
Action requested:
Please write to the Serbian authorities demanding that they:
i put an end to all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and their organisations and cease all interrogation of NGO staff in Serbia as to their activities;
ii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9 1998 (Declaration concerning the rights and responsibilities of individuals, groups and institutions to promote and protect universally recognised human rights and fundamental liberties ) in particular its Article 1 which provides that “Every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level.” Also, Article 5.b. “For the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels…To form, join and participate in non-governmental organizations, associations or groups.”
iii. guarantee the effective respect of fundamental rights and liberties in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International pacts and covenants.
Addresses:
The President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic. Fax: +38111636775 The Minister of the Interior. Fax +381113618366
Momir Bulatovic, Federal Prime Minister, Office of the Federal Prime Minister, Palace of Federation, Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. Fax +38111637185
Geneva – Paris 16th June 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line : Fax : +033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel : FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
YUG 002 / 0006 / OBS 053
Harassment of NGOs
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
16th June 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH and OMCT venture, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Serbia.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory for human rights defenders has been alerted to a number of visits to Serbian NGOs by the police, accompanied by the financial police. According to the information received, they have entered the offices of a number of NGOs in Belgrade to check their financial books for a period of several days during which, reports indicate, human rights defenders have also been interrogated about their activities.
According to the information received, on June 7th 2000, the police entered into the offices of Women in Black. There, so-called ‘informative talks’ lasted 6 hours on one day during which Stasa Zajovic, member of Women in Black, was interrogated with regards to the organisations local and foreign contacts.
On June 8th 2000 the police visited the offices of the Center for Antiwar Action, member of the FIDH, for a period of at least five days to check their financial books and ask questions regarding their activities, how many activists they were and who the members of the board were.
Just days before these two visits, the Forum for Ethnical Relations received a visit from the police, whilst the President, Dusan Janjic was away. The premises of the organisation were sealed without an official reason.
The Helsinki Committee of lawyers for Human Rights in Serbia was also visited by the police who spent several days controlling their books.
Although these visits and control of books are within legal limits, in the context of an increased repression of democratic movements in Serbia, the Observatory believes that they constitute a form of harassment against NGOs in Serbia.
Action requested:
Please write to the Serbian authorities demanding that they:
i put an end to all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and their organisations and cease all interrogation of NGO staff in Serbia as to their activities;
ii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9 1998 (Declaration concerning the rights and responsibilities of individuals, groups and institutions to promote and protect universally recognised human rights and fundamental liberties ) in particular its Article 1 which provides that “Every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level.” Also, Article 5.b. “For the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels…To form, join and participate in non-governmental organizations, associations or groups.”
iii. guarantee the effective respect of fundamental rights and liberties in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International pacts and covenants.
Addresses:
The President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic. Fax: +38111636775 The Minister of the Interior. Fax +381113618366
Momir Bulatovic, Federal Prime Minister, Office of the Federal Prime Minister, Palace of Federation, Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. Fax +38111637185
Geneva – Paris 16th June 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line : Fax : +033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel : FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch