political prisoners in north america

night's lantern political prisoners page: "political prisoners in north america held in violation of their human rights"

Decision on Bush Torture Charges Reserved

Decision on Bush Torture Charges Reserved _________________________________________________________________________________________ November 29, 2005 After a full day's hearing on November 25th 2005 Mme. Justice Deborah Satanove of the British Columbia Supreme Court reserved judgment on another government bid to stop Canadian proceedings against George W. Bush for torture. Torture charges laid against Bush on November 30th 2004 by LAW were dismissed by a provincial court judge who ruled that Bush as U.S. President, was immune from prosecution under the criminal laws of Canada and the charges were a nullity. The Attorney General of Canada had not yet consented to prosecution when the charges were dismissed as a nullity on December 6th 2004. Lawyers Against the War--LAW appealed that decision on the ground that in Canada, sitting heads of state are not absolutely immune from prosecution for torture. On November 25th 2005, the Attorney General of British Columbia made an application to have LAW’s appeal dismissed on two grounds: the B.C. courts do not have jurisdiction to hear the case and the Attorney General of Canada has not yet consented to the prosecution. The Crown says the Attorney General of Canada must consent to the prosecution within 8 days of the charges being laid: LAW says the Attorney General’s consent must be within 8 days of the process hearing and after a proper review of the evidence. The Crown also asserts that the charges ought to have been laid in Ontario: LAW says the charges can be laid anywhere in Canada. LAW says that the court must decide whether, within all the circumstances, Mr. Bush is immune under Canadian law. LAW also says that the Attorney General of Canada cannot consent to the prosecution unless and until the provincial court decision is set aside. LAW questions what reason there could be in law for either the Provincial Crown or the Attorney General of Canada to refuse to pursue charges in a case where the evidence of torture, committed against non-Americans and outside U.S. territory, is overwhelming; where the alleged offender is attempting to legalize torture and where the laws of Canada provide jurisdiction to prosecute. LAW says the purpose of Canada’s torture laws is to eradicate all torture irrespective of where it occurs, the office of the alleged offender(s) and/or the nationality of the victim(s). No date was set for the decision. Background: On November 30th 2004 LAW co-chair filed an information in the Provincial Court of B.C. charging George Walker Bush, as President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces with 7 counts of aiding, abetting and counseling torture at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay prisons. The charges are based on overwhelming and horrific evidence of torture resulting in injury and death and were laid under Criminal Code provisions enacted when Canada ratified the UN Convention against Torture. After an information is filed by a private person, the court must conduct a process hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to support the charges and the Attorney General of Canada is entitled to attend this hearing. The Criminal Code imposes on the Attorney General of Canada the responsibility to oversee torture prosecutions of non-citizens which can continue to the trial stage only with his consent. On December 6th 2004, before a process hearing was held to review the evidence and before the Attorney General of Canada had consented, a provincial court judge dismissed the information as a nullity on the basis that George W. Bush, as President of the United States is immune from prosecution for torture under the criminal laws of Canada. LAW wants the court to hear the central issue in the appeal; whether, under Canadian law, George W. Bush is immune from prosecution for the torture alleged because he is President of the U.S., and if so the extent and effect of such immunity. No Canadian court has ever had the opportunity of properly adjudicating these issues, critical to the enforcement of the right to freedom from torture, as well as to the enforcement of laws prohibiting war crimes and crimes against humanity. LAW is an international group of jurists and others based in Canada with members in 14 countries. Contacts Michael Mandel, Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3. Tel: 416 736-5039, Fax: 416-736-5736, Email: MMandel@osgoode.yorku.ca Gail Davidson, Tel: 604 738 0338; Fax: 604 736 1175, Email: law@portal.ca _________________________________ Lawyers Against the War Current Postings

War criminal Mihailovic on the Serbian Ministry for Diaspora

War criminal Mihailovic on the Serbian Ministry for Diaspora web page http://www.index.hr/clanak.aspx?id=294516 The picture of Second World War war criminal Draza Mihailovic, on the official web page of Seriban Ministry for dijaspora in Belgrade. http://www.mzd.sr.gov.yu/_cir/novosti.asp (first from the left) War crimes which were committed by chetnik units were one of the biggest war crimes in II World War and Draza Mihalovic was sentenced to death for these war crimes in 1945. but now, new, „reformed“ serbian Government glorify again this well known war criminal. Domagoj Margetic croatian journalist, publicist, columnist ICTY indictee www.domagojmargetic.com www.nemacenzure.com

Vukovar war criminal major general Stojanovski chief of staff of Macedonian Army

Vukovar war criminal major general Stojanovski chief of staff of Macedonian Army Major general Miroslav Stojanovski was one of the serb officers leading the agression on Croatia and Vukovar back in 1991. He is directly responsible for the lifes of 10 and more civilians, and he was leading the "cleaning" with his speccial unit in Vukovar for Serrb agressors. Now he is under the investigation in Croatia for war crimes in Vukovar in 1991. The ICTY and Carla del Ponte shows its hipocricy once again by protecting souch war criminals. And they had intelligence informations about Stojanovski two years ago. They did nothing. Political Tribunal? Kangaroo Court? You can read more about this case on: http://mprofaca.cro.net/nisu_mogli_odbiti.html#nisumogli Mario Profaca's web site. Domagoj Margetic journalist, editor, publicist, Zagreb, Croatia

Secret relationship between Croatia's president Mesic and Macedonia's general Stojanovski

Secret relationship between Croatia's president Mesic and Macedonia's general Stojanovski At the end of 1998. there was a secret meeting held, on a joint initiative of the new Macedonian Government (VMRO-DPMNE) and its president Ljubco Georgievski and Croatian side, and secret working gropu „Velebit“ was founded. The main goal of this secret conspirative group was to arm Macedonian Army and Police, and to provide economic and financial logistics to new Macedonian Government. Later during 2002. and 2003. these negotiations were secretlly continued when high military delegation visited Zagreb at that period. In these secret missions to Zagreb Miroslav Stojanovski was present as one of Macedonia's representatives. Ohrid Document The existance of souch working gruop „Velebit“ totally out of the frame of official croatian policy, is declarated in a secret Ohrid document, signed in Ohrid On 29. of November 1998., titled as „The Priorities of Velebit Zagreb colaboration with Velebit Skopje and Veleco Skopje“. At the same period the high intelligence delegation from Croatia visited Macedonia, both with the representatives for economic-financial colaboration with Macedonian Government. During that visit the head of croatian intelligence delegation T.B. handed to Ljube Boskovsi, who later became Interior Minister ina Macedonia 200 000 german marks (100 000 Euro). For that money there was never official document signed or registered, and some wittnesses later claimed that Boskovski never gave that money either to VMRO or to the Government. At that time Boskovski was responsible for organization of financial and teshnical logistics, at his house in Croatia, Bale (Istria) where was the headquarters of all lo gistics for macedonian police and army forces. Founding of a joint company „Veleco Skopje“ During that visit of high croatian delegation to Macedonia, there was a document signed at Ohrid on founding joint macedonian croatian company „Veleco Skopje“ with its headquarters in Skopje. Stevèo Koèevski (close friend and assotiate to Ljube Boskovski) was named as director general of that company and Ljube Boskovski (minister of interior of Macedonia) was named as commercial director of company. This document was signed by the representative from Croatia T.B., Stevèo Koèevski and Ljube Boskovski. Prior to the founding of this company there was a secret Memorandum signed at Ohrid which was signed by the authorisation of the Macedonian primeminister Ljubco Georgievski, and in that document they set up priorities for „Velebit“ group as it was ordered by Georgievski. In that document T.B. proposed to Georgievski founding of a joint croatian macedonian bank in Skopje, and the next meeting was to be held on 5th of December of 1998. Members of „Velebit“ group „Veleco Skopje“ company (accordin to the documents) organized for Macedonian Government meetengs with respresentatives of important multinational corporations, souch as Honda, Coca-Cola, Lewenbrau, and others in Zagreb on the 10th of December of 1998., and on that meeting there was T.B present and also Davor Lucu (from Bale), Matijaž Božiè (from Bale). Lucu and Božiè also held several meetings on behalf of Macedonian Government with the representatives of ENRON and BECHTEL in Zagreb, and in that contacts Lucu and Božiè asked for huge provisions on contracts with Macedonia. Same team negotiated in zagreb for sale of macedonian telecommunication company and other important companies from Macedonia. T.B organized a „International Conference for investment, international collaboration and foreign investments in Macedonia“, in Ohrid, Hotel Metropol, from 1st to 7th February of 1999. All relations of this group and Macedonian Government was held thru assotiation „Velebit Ohrid“, Jane Sandanski Street 59, whose coordinator was Stevco Kocevski. One of the main priorities was to elaborate the Programm of free costums zones, what was financed secretly by Croatian Government. High representative of Croatian Interior Ministry on the direct line with Macedonians The main intelligence conection between Croatia and Macedonia was croatian macedonian, imployed in Ministry of Interior of Croatia O.B, who often replaced T.B on the meetings of the „Velebit“ group. He was also the main connection between Croatian and Macedonian Government in secret trade of arms and weapons. That person was later very close to primeminister Racan and president Mesic, and T.B and O.B. later visited Israel with the credentials given by stipe Mesic. If one remembers well, at that period Mesic offered to Macedonia peace mediation with Albanians and he offered him and „his people“ to negotiate between Macedonians and Albanians. These pople were T.B. and O.B. Racan as the primeminister covered secret operation „Velebit“ Croatian Government new for all relations with Macedonia during operation „Velebit“, as it was confirmed by the high source in Government who often talked to Racan to investigate these intelligence operations. Racan didn't approve that investigation and the high sponzorship on that project was taken by president Stipe Mesic. Stojanovski's two days arrival to Istria brings these questions back in the focus. Did Stojanovski meet with the agent installations of former minister and hague indictee and prisoner Ljube Boskovski in Istria (Croatia)? Did Stojanovski meet with the top members of former „Velebit“ intelligence group? Racan once stopped the investigation on arming the police and the army of Macedonia in these intelligence operations. It is quite logical to ask where did money from that operation go? To private accounts? To accounts of political parties involved in that? Is that why Racan is silent about that? Any way, today when operation „Velebit“ was almost forgotten, it's the reason why president Mesic protects general Stojanovski in case of war crime in Vukovar and Racan (as the present oposition leader) decided to go silence on that. But any objective investigation would bring these things at the day light. The other issue why Mesic protects Stojanovski is the command chain of Jugoslav Army back at 1991. Mesic was then commander in chief of Jugoslav Army and he did nothing to put sanctions on the officers as Stojanovski who participated in war crimes. He even didn't make any public critics on that issue. So he is probably afraid that any investigation on Stojanovski would bring this issue at the focus of some investigation. Domagoj Margetic croatian journalist, publicist, columnist ICTY indictee www.domagojmargetic.com www.nemacenzure.com