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Case YUG 080702.CC
CHILD CONCERN
Aggression and other attacks
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT
intervention in the following situation in Yugoslavia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the
Humanitarian Law Centre (HLC), that two Roma children were physically
and verbally abused by the Yugoslav Police on June 29th 2002.
Case YUG 080702.CC
CHILD CONCERN
Aggression and other attacks
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT
intervention in the following situation in Yugoslavia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the
Humanitarian Law Centre (HLC), that two Roma children were physically
and verbally abused by the Yugoslav Police on June 29th 2002.
According to the information received, the two Roma children, a 13-
year old boy, Stancic Dragan, and a 14-year old girl, Ristic Ljuvica,
were washing the windscreens of cars that had come to a halt in a
busy intersection in Belgrade on June 29th 2002 when a police car
approached them. One policeman stayed in the passenger seat, while
the policeman who was driving got out and approached Stancic Dragan.
The policeman reportedly shouted aggressively at him to go away and
then smacked Stancic Dragan across his face with the back of his
hand, causing Stancic's lip to split open. The same policeman then
reportedly swore at Ristic Ljuvica and slapped and punched her left
cheek.
According to the report, Ristic Ljuvica had left her keys by the
curb. At first, the policeman who had slapped her did not allow her
to retrieve them, but then changed his mind. While Ristic Ljuvica was
picking up her keys she saw that the policeman sitting in the
passenger seat had badge number 103745.
Friends of the children, who were reportedly sitting by a nearby caf?
and witnessed these events, support the statements made by Stancic
and Ristic concerning the beatings.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT is gravely concerned about
the Yugoslav Police's attitude towards Roma people. These events are
not isolated acts, but have to be linked to increasing violence and
discrimination against Roma people in Yugoslavia. According to the
information received, various members of this minority have been
subjected to violations of their human rights, such as the right not
to be tortured or subjected to other forms of ill-treatment, the
right to housing, the right to education or the right to health.
Furthermore OMCT would like to recall that Yugoslavia is a party to
the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which clearly states that:
"No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment" (art. 37 (a)) and that: "States
Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the (?)
Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without
discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her
parent's (?) national, ethnic or social origin (?) or other status"
(art. 2 (1)).
Action Requested
Please write to the Yugoslavian authorities urging them to:
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the alleged ill-
treatment of the afore-mentioned children, identify those
responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial
tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions
provided by law;
ii. ensure that the rights set forth in the Convention on the Rights
of the Child be applied without any discrimination against Roma
children;
iii. guarantee adequate reparation to the victims and also physical
and psychological recovery;
iv. guarantee all human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance
with international human rights standards, particularly the
Convention on the Rights of the Child;
Addresses
? His Excellency Vojislav Kostunica, President of The Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia, Bulevar Lenjina 2, Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia;
fax: +381 11 3111668, e-mail: vojislav.kostunica@gov.yu
? His Excellency Dragi?a Pe?ic, Prime Minister of The Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia, Bulevar Mihaila Pupina 2, Novi Beograd,
Yugoslavia. Fax: +381 11 604446 / +381 11 637185, E-mail:
dragisa.pesic@gov.yu
? His Excellency Minister Vladan Batic, The Ministry of Justice,
Nemanjina 22-24, fax: +381 11 3616419 / +381 11 3616535, E-mail:
kabinet@mpravde.sr.gov.yu
? His Excellency Goran Svilanovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Kneza Milosa 3, Novi Beograd,
Yugoslavia, Fax : (+ 381) 11 3618052 / (+ 381) 11 3618010, E-mail:
goran.svilanovic@gov.yu
? His Excellency Zoran Zivkovic, Minister of Internal Affairs of The
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2, Novi
Beograd, Yugoslavia, fax: (+ 381) 11 3117159,E-mail:
zoran.zivkovic@gov.yu
? His Excellency Zoran Djindjic, Prime Minister of the Serbian
Government, 11 Nemanjina St., Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia, Fax: (+381)
11 3617587, E-mail: press@uzzpro.sr.gov.yu
? The Federal Ministry of National and Ethnic Communities
? Minister Rasim Ljajic, Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2, Novi Beograd,
Yugoslavia, fax: (+381) 11 3112916, E-mail: rasim.ljajic@gov.yu
? The Ministry of Interior Republic of Serbia, Minister Dusan
Mihajlovic, Kneza Milosa 101, fax: (+381) 11 3617585 / (+381) 11
3617814, E-mail: muprs@mup.sr.gov.yu
Please also write to the embassies of Yugoslavia in your respective
country.
Geneva, July 8th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this
appeal in your reply.
Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT)
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Organizaci?n Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT)
8 rue du Vieux-Billard
Case postale 21
CH-1211 Geneve 8
Suisse/Switzerland
Tel. : 0041 22 809 49 39
Fax : 0041 22 809 49 29
E-mail : omct@omct.org
http://www.omct.org
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