Serbia

Amnesty International today welcomed the provisions of the Amnesty bill - approved yesterday by the parliament of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - which include an amnesty for conscientious objectors to military service in the Yugoslav Army.

The main provisions of the law apply to an estimated 24,000 men, including conscientious objectors and deserters who refused to take part in the conflicts in former Yugoslavia. The bill covers those who refused to take up arms, those who avoided military service or registration for service and those who deserted from the Yugoslav Army.

From the Safe House Project in Budapest

War is not a "natural" state; war is not … War is, among other things, the direct consequence of militarism.

We know that the nationalist-militarist regime in Serbia survives on hatred, fear and war. We know that the obstacles and barriers produced by that regime, are strengthening insecurity and confrontation. We know that the peoples` fear is easily being used to deepen mistrust and divisions, and to build up bounders between people. We know that this can lead even to an interruption of communication.

This action has been organised by the Belgrade Women in Black Movement and the Niksic SOS Telephone. It took place in various cities in Montenegro and Serbia on the 20th , 21st and 22nd of September.

Vucje, August 24-28, 2000

May 15th has been proclaimed the international conscientious objectors` day on the ICOM (International Conscientious Objectors Meeting) in the year 1983. Yet, it was only this year that the antimilitarist network, consisting of NGO from many towns in Serbia and Montenegro, organized, let us say, a notification of this day. The action of notifying this date took part in 17 towns simultaneously. Although in most of the towns the basic action consisted of delivering leaflets and sticking posters, even such modest actions were not allowed in some places by the police.

In last two weeks several religious objectors were released from prisons in Zabela and Nis, Serbia (one Orthodox Christian and a few Jehovah's witnesses). In fact their five-year sentences for draft evasion or refusal to carry a weapon in times of war (NATO military intervention) were replaced with one-year sentence, usually given in times of peace.

about mobilization, and threats of war

"This spring we must have time to see the cherries trees and lime trees blossom, if we do not than it is the end because we must not allow the killings and shooting to go on, not here and not in Montenegro. The hands must be put down and the hollowing reduced to a normal level…" writes these days Borka Pavicevic, theatre director, coordinator of the Center for Cultural Decontamination/Denazification a haven for all of us, who are the Others, who are different in this city, a place where we can find a space for diversity all these years.

Five Albanian students of the Belgrade University (Petrit Berisha, Driton Berisha, Dritan Meca, Derguti Shkodran and Abdulah Islam) have been in pre trail confinement since the middle of April 1999, when they were arrested in Belgrade. They are charged with "terrorism and banding for hostile activity".

There are a few positive developments since our last report but unfortunately, the need for our work continues if not intensifies.

Report from the Ad Hoc Coalition for the Women's Political Rights

Dear friends,

Yesterday it was 9th of November, in some places also known as the International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism. The Serbian parliament had a session in which the opposition parties submitted a demand for new elections. Therefore, for that day Belgrade students organisations, under the title "Protest" (about 8 organizations), announced the protest march at 1 pm, while the oppositional political parties gathered in "Alliance for Changes" announced their protest at 3 pm.

On Thursday, the 14th of October, the "Safe House" project with the help of American Friends Service Committee organized a big meeting and dinner for more than thirty deserters and draft evaders with whom we have close contact in Budapest. It was a short break from daily desperation, disillusionment that they find themselves in Hungary without possibility to get refugee status and accompanied aid and right to work or possibility to leave for a third country.