Il vescovo Artemije lancia un appello a favore della liberazione deiprigioneri del Kosovo

[Paola Lucchesi <paola.lucchesi@mail.inet.it>]

L'appello e' a favore dei prigionieri di tutte le etnie, ma il primo
paragrafo e' dedicato a quelli Albanesi tuttora detenuti in Serbia. Atto
coraggioso, posto che Artemije e' il vescovo della diocesi serbo-ortodossa
di Prizren. Il monastero di Decani e' stato altre volte soggetto ad
attacchi piuttosto violenti dalle parti piu' intrensigenti della comunita'
serba, a causa delle sue posizioni moderate.

paola


(* c'e' anche l'indirizzo email di padre Sava, il portavoce del vescovo e
lui stesso personaggio molto conosciuto, se qualcuno ha voglia di parlarci
direttamente...)

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Betreff:  [kosovo highlights] BISHOP ARTEMIJE AND SNC APPEAL FOR THE
PRISONERS AND THE MISSING IN KOSOVO
Datum: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 01:52:51 +0200
Von: "Fr. Sava" <decani@eunet.yu>
Rückantwort: kosovo-owner@egroups.com
Firma: Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren

APPEAL OF BISHOP ARTEMIJE FOR RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE OF IMPRISONED,
MISSING AND KIDNAPPED PERSONS FROM KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Gracanica, October 16, 2000

One of the most sensitive issues which is equally difficult for all the
national communities in Kosovo and Metohija and which is seriously
slowing down political dialog and the establishment of mutual
multiethnic confidence is the unresolved issue of imprisoned, missing
and kidnapped persons from all communities.
     Our Church and the Serb National Council (SNC) for several months
have been making active efforts to resolve this issue on both sides but
there has been no understanding from either the former state organs in
Belgrade or from Albanian political leaders. Therefore, with the goal of
reducing interethnic tensions and creating realistic preconditions for
serious and effective political dialog, as the responsible
representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the area of the Diocese
of Raska and Prizren which was entrusted to me and as the president of
the Serb National Council, I believe that the victory of democratic
forces in Serbia and the arrival of Mr. Vojislav Kostunica as head of
FRY has created the right conditions for the resolution of this issue in
a just and generally acceptable manner.
     I would like to take this opportunity to issue a PUBLIC APPEAL to
responsible democratic representatives of FRY, Albanian political
organizations and associations, as well as representatives of the UN
mission in Kosovo, asking the following:

1. That the state authorities objectively examine all cases of Albanian
prisoners as soon as possible and turn over to UNMIK all Albanian
prisoners who are currently being held in prisons on the territory of
the Republic of Serbia and against whom there is no objective evidence
that they have carried out concrete criminal acts. State authorities
should also make available all existing information to shed light on the
fate of Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija who are still listed as missing
and whose fate is unknown.

2. That representatives of Albanian political parties and associations
submit to the international UN mission all available information
regarding all missing and kidnapped Serbs, Roma, Bosniacs as well as all
other persons missing in Kosovo and Metohija either during the war or
during the post-war period as soon as possible, in order to explain
their fate and to make their families aware of the truth regarding their
beloved ones. If these kidnapped and missing persons are still alive, we
ask for their immediate release.

3. That UNMIK, which bears the legal and moral reponsibility for the
territory under its jurisdiction in accordance to Resolution 1244 for
the length of its mandate in Kosovo and Metohija, shed light on the fate
of all missing persons as soon as possible and prevent further
violations of human rights.

This process assumes the willingness of both sides to cooperate on the
basis of fundamental principles of respect for human rights and
universal rights of man according to which no person can be deprived of
his freedom and kept under humiliating life conditions without a court
sentence of guilt by legal and independent judicial organs.
     In the name of God who created every man as a free and dignified
being and gave him the right to life, I appeal for as rapid as possible
a resolution of this important issue. The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of
Raska and Prizren and the SNC of Kosovo and Metohija on their part are
prepared as always to offer their active contribution in this process.

THE BISHOP OF RASKA AND PRIZREN
+ARTEMIJE