DECLARATION

OF THE STATE DUMA

On the inhuman treatment of the political prisoner Slobodan Milosevic by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia

          The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation with deep concern receives the information on the sharp deterioration of the health of the former President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic, who is held in prison of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague. According to the official sources from The Hague, during nine months of the process in the case of Slobodan Milosevic (since February 2002) the ICTY sessions have been disrupted four times, which makes 31 working day (without weekends), only due to the bad health condition of Slobodan Milosevic. The lawyers (amici curiae) appointed by ICTY have addressed to ICTY judges a proposal to make a one year recess in the process in the case of Slobodan Milosevic for the same reason - bad health condition of the prisoner.

          The arterial hypertension associated with the cardiovascular illness, from which Slobodan Milosevic suffers since time before the imprisonment, is an imminent threat to his life. The exhausting many hours long ICTY sessions, the lack of the specialized medical aid and the lack of opportunity to be regularly in fresh air worsen the health condition of Slobodan Milosevic.

          The former President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia undergoes a humiliating procedure which includes putting the hand-cuffs every time when he is transported from the prison to the court and back.

          The State Duma not once condemned the works of ICTY, as in the Resolutions of the State Duma of June 28, 2001, No.1719-III GD "On the address of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to the leadership of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia concerning the outlawing of the handing over Slobodan Milosevic to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia" and of February 15, 2002 No.2480-III GD "On the necessity to impose time limits to the works of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia".

          In these Resolutions, the critical estimates of the works of ICTY have been given, including the emphases on the violations of the norms of the international humanitarian law and on the political character of ICTY.

          In relation to the above mentioned, the State Duma considers it a priority that political prisoner Slobodan Milosevic undergo appropriate medical examination administered by Yugoslav doctors and other specialists.

          The State Duma, in accordance with the provisions of the UN General Assembly Resolution 37/194 of December 18, 1982 on the Principles of Medical Ethics, determining the role of the health care workers, in the first place physicians in medical protection of the prisoners, requests the Government of the Russian Federation to send to The Hague highly qualified Russian doctors to take part in the medical examination of Slobodan Milosevic.

 (Adopted unanimously, December 11, 2002)