Syndicate: Vesna Pesic in danger

[Andreas Broeckmann <abroeck@v2.nl>]

Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 02:43:12 +0200
From: Zarana Papic <zpapic@f.bg.ac.yu>


The Civic Alliance of Serbia


________________________________________________________________________________
___________

                                 Terazije 3/VIII, 11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia

                       Tel/fax: +381 11 3341-696, 3341-478, e-mail:
gss@merkur.bits.net

Belgrade, August 17 1999

Dear Friends,


Ms. VESNA PESIC, world known Serbian activist for human rights and
former President of the Civic Alliance of Serbia, might be indicted for
violating The Constitution. If indicted and sentenced, she might face 10
to 20 years of imprisonment.


Serbian state TV is broadcasting this news/threat every hour: "On the
August 17th, Pancevo district attorney, asked local police from Vrsac to
bring him detailed evidence on the subject in order to indict Ms. Vesna
Pesic for inviting people to violently break constitutional order in
Serbia and FRY."


Several days ago at the rally in Vrsac, organized by the Alliance For
Change, Serbian largest opposition democratic group, Ms. Pesic said: "If
they (authorities) are not ready and willing to give up their power in a
peaceful and democratic manner, it just might happen that "Romanian"
model will have to work."

This statement provoked severe propaganda attacks from the state
controlled media against the Alliance For Change, Ms. Pesic being
particularly targeted.

Earlier this morning Belgrade police have beaten up and arrested Mr.
Bogoljub Arsenijevic Maki, painter, organizer one of the rallies in
Valjevo, several weeks ago. Later during the day, at the session of the
Federal Parliament, Mr. Ljubisa Ristic, M.P. and President of JUL, (Mrs.
Milosevic ultra leftist ruling party) stated: "This is not a political
fight anymore, this is fight for life or death." As a result, only few
hours later, state TV started broadcasting the news/threat about Ms.
Vesna Pesic faces possible criminal charges.

Fearing for her life and safety we urge you to help Ms. Vesna Pesic.

Just as a reminder, Ms. Vesna Pesic is the founder of the Center for
Antiwar Action, leading NGO dealing with human rights in Serbia.


She is the founding member of Helsinki Committee for Serbia (1985) and
of the European Movement in Serbia (1990).

Until recently, she was the President of the Civic Alliance of Serbia,
the leading democratic and antiwar political party in Serbia.

She received the Democracy Award of the National Endowment for Democracy
(1993), Andrej Sakharov Freedom Price - Annual Award for 1997 (Norwegian
Sakharov Freedom Fund), W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award (National
Democratic Institute, 1997) and nominated for the Nobel Peace Price,
1998.


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