arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Getuige "weet het niet".
by jurrie Wednesday May 29, 2002 at 12:33 AM

Den Haag, 28 mei 2002 - Een 24-jarige inwoonster van het Kosovaarse plaatsje Racak, Drita Emini, heeft dinsdag als eerste van een serie speciaal geselecteerde getuigen verklaringen afgelegd over de vermeende massamoord in haar dorpje in januari 1999.

Ze leek opvallend weinig te weten over haar dorp en zelfs zeer slecht op de hoogte van de inhoud van haar eigen schriftelijke verklaringen tegenover onderzoekers van het 'Joegoslavië-Tribunaal'.

De vondst van tientallen lijken in Racak was destijds voor de NAVO een aanleiding om Joegoslavië aan te vallen. Er werd vrijwel onmiddellijk aangenomen dat 'Servische troepen verantwoordelijk waren voor een massamoord in Racak' op 15 januari 1999. Deze lezing is echter niet enkel bij Serviërs omstreden.

Voor de aanklagers is de Servische schuld aan Racak een hoeksteen in hun bewijsvoering tegen de beklaagde, de voormalige Joegoslavische president Slobodan Milosevic.

Omdat er zo weinig tijd beschikbaar is, hebben ze van ruim zestig getuigen er vijf geselecteerd die in Den Haag in persoon komen getuigen. Emini was dinsdag de eerste en haar verklaringen kunnen worden samengevat met: "Ik weet het niet."

De weinige volzinnen die Emini uitsprak als antwoord op vragen van Milosevic, waren voor een belangrijk deel in tegenspraak met haar eerdere schriftelijke verklaringen tegenover 'tribunaal-onderzoeker' Kelly.

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SERBS WARN BUSH AND BLAIR

DEMONSTRATIONS IN FRONT OF U.S. AND U.K. EMBASSIES IN BELGRADE

BELGRADE, MAY 28 2002

During the NATO-Russia summit in Rome, Belgrade had shown that it is still capital of European resistance. Several thousand of left, right-wing and non-partisan patriots have demonstrated today in front of British and US embassies in Belgrade. They demanded end of the NATO political farce at The Hague and release of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic. Embassies' representatives received a letter for their governments from the organizer of the demonstration - Citizen Association FREEDOM. Written by Belgrade law professors, letter focuses on numerous misuses of law and violations of international documents on protection of human rights, including the "Tribunal"'s own Rules in the "trial" of Slobodan Milosevic and demands his release.

Once again, US/NATO aggression in Europe has been condemned. Following line of President Milosevic, demonstrators called for people's unity and broadening on protest actions against the present corrupted and undemocratic regime in Belgrade, which serves only to foreign interests and has completely lost popular support. "Our only goal is freedom" - said one of the speakers, chairman of the Association of Veterans of Wars since 1990 Ratko Zecevic. Former famous basketball player for the Yugoslav national team and now known activist Ljubodrag Simonovic Duci blamed capitalist arrogance and aggression for global oppression and stated that 'their stupid and ignorant Hague machinery is ashamed and in panic after clever and courageous appearance of President Milosevic, who expresses much higher civilizational level'. Messages from Russia have also been read and President Milosevic was called not only Serbian leader, but also a leader of a free world.

Demonstrations have been supported by Socialist Party of Serbia, Serbian Radical Party, Yugoslav Left, New Communist Party of Yugoslavia and numerous organizations from Serbia, Montenegro, Republic of Srpska, Macedonia as well as by organizations of expelled persons from Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia.

Culmination of the wave of protests in Serbia is expected on June 28, on St. Vitus Day and anniversary of abduction of President Milosevic. Almost all opposition parties have scheduled its mass rallies on that day in Belgrade, which is expected to be a 'day of truth' for the present regime and future of Serbia.