To the International Criminal Tribunal

for the former Yugoslavia

March, 21, 2003

Moscow

Dear Sirs!  

We are deeply disturbed by a new sharp deterioration of the state of health of Mr. Slobodan Milosevic - former President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia detained by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. The sharp increase of blood pressure (140/220) is fraught with grave consequences

The Russian State Duma repeatedly marked, that the severe conditions of detention of Mr. Milosevic lead to destruction of his health, creating danger to his life. However Mr. Milosevic is still deprived of access to specialized medical aid and of sufficient rest. We are deeply disturbed that despite persistent appeals of medical experts to reduce the intensity of the process, the wearisome multihour sessions proceed.

The ICTY actions violate the UN General Assembly resolution 37\94 of December 18, 1982 that demands the authorities to render to the detainees medical aid of the same quality, as to other population groups. We have an impression that the ICTY quite consciously provokes deterioration of a condition of health of the political prisoner.

The Russian Communist Party fraction of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Agro-Industrial deputy group representing a third of members of the Russian parliament, call on the ICTY to undertake emergency steps, which could prevent the dangerous consequences of these developments

We believe, that as the first urgent measure a group of the Belgrade Military-Medical Academy experts who are ready immediately to travel to The Hague, should have an opportunity to render emergency help to Mr.Milosevic.

As similar situations repeat with dangerous periodicity, we call on the ICTY to release Mr.Milosevic so that he can get full-scale specialized medical treatment in Serbia.

We intend to raise the issue of mistreatement of Mr.Milosevic at the forthcoming session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Gennady Zyuganov

Head of the CPRF  fraction

of the Russian Parliament                                      

Vladimir Plotnikov

Deputy Head of the

Agro-Industrial deputy group