(Appeal by 10 German Doctors)
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2003 00:43:08 +0200
Initiative von in Deutschland praktizierenden Ärzten und Therapeuten
Initiative of medical doctors and therapists practising in Germany
Dr. med. Uta Mader, Matthias Jochheim, Prof. Dr. med. habil. Ilse
Eisen-Hagemann, Dr. phil. Hans-Peter Brenner, Prof. Dr. med. habil.
Ingeborg Rapoport, Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Dr. hc. mult. Samuel Mitja
Rapoport, Dr. med. Christa Anders, Dr. med. Ernst Bellmer, Dr. med. Iris
Jonkanski, Dr. med. Michel Hühn, Barbara Mühlfeld
To:
Mr. Theodor Meron
Mr. Richard May
Mr. Steven Kay
Mr. Branislav Tapuskovic
ICTY Churchillplein 1
NL - 2517 JW The Hague
18.09.2003
Dear Sirs!
Since the submissions we made to you last November and December the proceedings against Mr. Slobodan Milosevic had to be repeatedly interrupted for health reasons; since the summer recess alone this has happened numerous times. Early this week for the first time a proceeding already in session had to be interrupted due to an acute attack of heart and vascular disease.
What is relevant regarding this had been communicated already by the
cardiologist Dr. P. R. M. van Dijkman, appointed by your side, when in his
report dated November 18, 2002, he confirmed "essential hypertension with
secondary organ damage", "during trial there recurred a steep increase in
blood pressure up to around 220/130 mmHg", "a condition that looks like a
hypertension emergency" and when he mentioned "the possibility of coronary disease, cerebrovascular accident, heart attack and death".
Recent events compel us to seriously raise the issue of your duty to
exercise proper care and supervision. It's true that for some time there
were no reports about any drugs being contraindicated or having
unacceptable side effects. On the other hand there is still no regular
cardiologic supervision taking place, which to us seems irresponsible in
view of the known health condition.
Although with an irresponsibly delay, finally after one year there was a
reduction of the number of trial sessions per week and session hours per
day. On the other hand, the volume of material produced by the prosecution
is said to have been increased this year on top of the already existing
500,000 pages DIN A4 by another 400,000 pages, not to mention the video and audio tapes. Such a volume would be impossible for any person to deal with during the allotted time; in this case the lack of time amounts to a
serious stress factor directly threatening his health.
When Mrs. Del Ponte in her interview with Neue Zürcher Zeitung dated July
18, 2003, stated with regard to the health condition of Mr. Milosevic: "He
is in very, very good health. Many people at the age of 60 or more are
suffering from high blood pressure. We won't comfort him. I hope that you
don't get the impression we would", this diametrically contradicts the
medical findings and procedural proposals repeatedly dealt with by the
Third Chamber. It also contradicts the relevant UN-Resolutions concerning
the treatment of prisoners. We very much hope that the cynicism expressed
by Mrs. Del Ponte is an exceptional phenomenon and is not in any way
representative of the attitude taken by your institution as a whole.
We appeal to you, considering Mr. Milosevic's hypertension and increased
infarct risk, not to practice any kind of such "non-comforting" treatment.
It is technically impossible during the allotted time to deal with the
amount of material presented by the prosecution, which causes serious but
avoidable stress. Even for a young healthy person this would be an
extraordinary task. In the present case for the preparation of the defence
after the prosecution has finished their case it is indispensable to
interrupt the proceedings for a longer period. Mr. Milosevic has demanded
an interruption and his release for a period of two years. It is a question
for the discretion of the trial chamber, to examine this demand from the
point of view of "equality of arms", since the prosecution has had more
than two years to prepare its case, not to mention the staff at its
disposal.
At least with respect to the health condition the time granted now for the
preparation of the defence of only three months is totally insufficient, as
it will irresponsibly increase the risk and stress factors. Mr. Milosevic
should be provisionally released for an adequate, longer period of time, so
that during the preparation of his defence he can have medical treatment
and control by his long time doctors in Belgrade.
Respectfully
in order
signed
Dr. med. Uta Mader, Köln
Spokesperson for the Initiative, Medical Doctor, International Physicians
for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW - Nobel Peace Prize 1985),
Association of Democratic Doctors (VDÄÄ in the German initials)
signed
Matthias Jochheim, Frankfurt/Main, Medical Doctor and Psychotherapist,
IPPNW
signed.
Prof. Dr. med. habil. Ilse Eisen-Hagemann, Berlin, Medical Doctor
signed
Dr. phil. Hans-Peter Brenner, Bonn, Psychological Psychotherapist,
Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Koblenz,
signed
Prof. Dr. med. habil. Ingeborg Rapoport, Berlin, Medical Doctor
signed
Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Dr. hc. mult. Samuel Mitja Rapoport, Berlin,
Medical Doctor
signed
Dr. med. Christa Anders, Berlin, Medical Doctor
signed
Dr. med. Ernst Bellmer, Erzhausen, Internist
signed
Dr. med. Iris Jonkanski, Brinckheim (Frankreich), Medical Doctor
signed
Barbara Mühlfeld, Frankfurt/Main, Medical Doctor
(reference to organisations for information only)
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The above text is an unoficial English translation of the German original.
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SLOBODA INVITES MEDICAL DOCTORS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO ENDORSE THE APPEAL
OF THEIR GERMAN COLLEAGUES OR TO ADDRESS THE TRIBUNAL WITH THEIR OWN
APPEALS
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SLOBODA urgently needs your donation.
Please find the detailed instructions at:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/pomoc.htm
To join or help this struggle, visit:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/ (Sloboda/Freedom association)
http://www.icdsm.org/ (the international committee to defend Slobodan
Milosevic)
http://www.free-slobo.de/ (German section of ICDSM)
http://www.icdsmireland.org/ (ICDSM Ireland)
http://www.wpc-in.org/ (world peace council)
http://www.geocities.com/b_antinato/ (Balkan antiNATO center)