Klaus Hartmann, Vice-Chairman of the ICDSM and speaker of the German section of the ICDSM, before prison in The Hague where Slobodan Milosevic is imprisoned, June 28, 2003
Friends, citizens:
We are standing here in front of a building that was used by the German fascists to imprison Dutch anti-fascist and resistance fighters.
Today once again the criminals have locked up their victims, the representatives of the resistance to the dictatorship of the "New World Order".
We direct our solidarity to these political prisoners, who are imprisoned here illegally.
The so-called Hague Tribunal, which violates International Law, serves
not only to legitimize NATO's crimes against Yugoslavia ...
...snip...
... net and prevent the people there from rising up to take their fate
in their own hands and themselves determine their fate.
Yesterday I together with Velko Valkanov had the opportunity to hold a discussion with President Slobodan Milosevic. He made it quite clear that the charges this false tribunal is bringing are aimed at solidifying the colonial order in the Balkans:
-The charges of alleged Serbian crimes in Kosovo have the goal of laying the foundations for the separation of Kosovo from Serbia;
-The charge of alleged genocide in Bosnia has the goal of ending the existence of the Serb Republic.
Up to now Slobodan Milosevic has managed to repudiate all the prosecution's
witnesses, to reduce their testimony to nothing ...
...snip...
... unsuccessfully sought to rescue Mr. Ambassador as he cut down the
time that Slobodan Milosevic had for his cross-examination.
In her own "half time," in which prosecution witnesses are brought on to support the charges, Ms. Del Ponte stands before us fully naked-a frightful vision!
Slobodan Milosevic's morale for struggle is unbroken.
Despite this, his joy over the victorious battles in the "court" room is limited. The situation, he says, is from one point of view comical, but even so ridiculous and tragic. Always having to deal with these small-spirited people is no joy.
How much this court-martial fears the second "half time" in which Slobodan Milosevic calls the witnesses, has been shown by the prosecution's already extending twice the time to make its case, now at least until the beginning of 2004.
At the same time they have piled up Slobo with paper, tons of paper, almost a half-million DIN A4 pages. To read these papers through he would need three years, even if he read 400 pages each day.
It is a requirement of minimal fairness that he be provided with time for an orderly preparation of his defense.
We demand then:
At least a one-year interruption and corresponding release from prison for an orderly preparation of the defense!
In agreement with our friend and comrade Slobo, I issue a call that we
all concentrate the attention of the International ...
...snip...
... all our weight on the scales to win this demand for an interruption
in the trial and the corresponding release from prison!
A further protest is directed at the mistreatment and persecution of his family, against whom a thoroughgoing witch-hunt has been launched.
While the public with the goal of their well known and practiced deception
of the people learns, that the order to arrest ...
...snip...
... among youths or that his wife has allegedly used "connections"
to procure an apartment for the babysitter of her grandchild.
This is the basis for an "International Arrest Order," an unrepeatable joke and a scandal, which is aimed only at undermining his strength for the battle, his will to struggle, in that every visit from Mirjana and other members of his family should be made impossible.
We raise the strongest protest and demand the withdrawal of this illegal arrest orders!
Dear friends and comrades!
We are today for the first time in The Hague. But we will come again-we are not here for the last time.
Yesterday at noon Slobo asked me, how many participants we expected for
our demonstration. I said, we would be happy if a few ...
...snip...
... had already said, "the beginning is more than half of the whole"
- and today we have gone down more than half the road.
Dear friends!
* With the struggle for the freedom of Slobodan Milosevic we struggle for all our freedom.
* We struggle against the new imperialist re-division of the world, against neocolonialism, against the New World War Order.
* We struggle for the defense of people rights, for equality, for independence, for national sovereignty and dignity of all countries.
We are convinced:
They shall not pass!
The slaveholders have never been the victors in history!
The people have the last word!
Thus:
Zivela Jugoslavija! Sloboda za Slobodana!
(Long live Yugoslavia! Freedom for Slobodan!)
Thank you.