International Lawyers Group of the ICDSM
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e-mail: office@globalreflexion.org PRESS RELEASE
5 February 2002

MR. MILOSEVIC UNDERTAKES LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE ICTY AND THE STATE OF THE NETHERLANDS

By order of Mr. Milosevic on December 20, 20001, a 140-pages provisional application is filed at the European Court of Human Rights by a team of lawyers: Mr. N.M.P. Steijnen, the Netherlands, Mr. Ch. Black, Canada, Prof. Mr. A. Bernardini, Italy, Mr. Z. Tomanovic, Yugoslavia, Prof. Mr. M.N. Kouznetsov , Russia, Mr. Jaq. Verges, France, Mr. D.M. Ognjanovic. This provisional application, formulated under conditions violating all human rights guarantees with respect to normal communication between lawyers and client, must be further implemented.

In this delicate phase of the European Court procedure the puppet-tribunal has even intensified its interferences. It has banned Mr. Ch. Black from all further communication with Mr. Milosevic and refuses, without further explanation, further access by Mr. N. Steijnen to Mr. Milosevic. Access on other members of the lawyers-team is limited to very rare exceptions and dependson the humour of the tribunal. NEVER any free and unmonitored communication with Mr. Milosevic is allowed and the exchange of documents is prohibited. Mail between the members of the lawyers-team is intercepted and vanish.

Under these conditions a further elaboration of the European Court case is impossible. The team of lawyers has officially informed the European Court that a further progress on their work is effectively blocked by the puppet-tribunal''s interferences and that they have no other choice than to suspend their labour on the case. Till the puppet-tribunal end its human rights violations with respect to defence rights.

So the puppet-tribunal's human rights abuses, straight in the face of the European Court of Human Rights, has caused a deadlock. In order to force a breakthrough, Mr. Milosevic has ordered to undertake legal action.

So a summary injunction procedure is now alrerady filed at the District Court in the hague against all relevant sides: the puppet-tribunal itself and the State of the Netherlands.

The demand to all parties is: take your responsibility in the field of safeguarding human rights with respect to defence rights and go around the table to find a solution. A solution that brings to end these severe human rights violations in the field defence rights. The State of the Netherlands is summoned specifically to take te initiative.