Concerns in Europe
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CONCERNS IN EUROPE January - June 1996 INTRODUCTION This bulletin contains information about Amnesty International’s main concerns in Europe between January and June 1996. Not every country in Europe is reported on: only those where there were significant developments in the period covered by the bulletin. The five Central Asian republics of Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are included in the Europe Region because of their membership of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). A number of individual country reports have been issued on the concerns featured in this bulletin. References to these are made under the relevant country entry. In addition, more detailed information about particular incidents or concerns may be found in Urgent Actions and News Service Items issued by Amnesty International. This bulletin is published by Amnesty International every six months. References to previous bulletins in the text are: AI Index: EUR 01/01/96 Concerns in Europe: July - December 1995 AI Index: EUR 01/02/95 Concerns in Europe: January - June 1995 AI Index: EUR 01/01/95 Concerns in Europe: May - December 1994 AI Index: EUR 01/02/94 Concerns in Europe: November 1993 - April 1994 2 2 AI Concerns in Europe: January - June 1996 ALBANIA journalists were briefly detained, or charged or threatened with charges, or ill-treated in police Prisoners of conscience custody. They included Fatos Veliu who was beaten by police in Saranda. On 28 May Bardhok Lala, a Fatos Nano, leader of the main opposition party, journalist for the independent newspaper Dita the Socialist Party (SP), remained in prison (see Informacion, was arrested by plainclothes police Amnesty International Reports 1995 and 1996). In while observing opposition demonstrations in February, Lambi Mile, a Jehovah’s Witness, was Tirana. He was driven out to a lake near Tirana, sentenced by a court in Berat to six months’ beaten, stripped and subjected to a mock imprisonment for refusing military service on execution. He suffered severe bruising to his back religious grounds. In March Sulejman Mekollari and eyes and doctors reportedly said he had a and three other men were sentenced to up to four fracture of the skull and injuries to the genital area. years’ imprisonment by a court in Saranda. They had distributed pamphlets bearing the slogan: “Berisha [the President of Albania] is a spy. Bardhok Lala America out of Albania”. Sulejman Mekollari was also convicted of trying to recreate the former Albanian communist party (officially banned in 1992). The convictions and sentences were confirmed on appeal. In March Timoshenko Pekmezi and three other men were arrested in Tirana on similar charges and in May an ethnic Albanian from Yugoslavia, Nusret Reçica, was reportedly arrested for distributing the writings of Albania’s former communist ruler, Enver Hoxha. Political prisoners Over 40 people, almost all of them formerly senior communist officials, were under investigation, on trial or convicted on charges of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” in connection with grave human rights violations committed under communist rule. By the end of June at least 14 had National elections in May - arbitrary detention and been convicted of bearing responsibility for the ill-treatment of political opponents long-term “internment” (internal exile) of political dissidents and their families. Three were sentenced Several hundred members or supporters of to death; five to life imprisonment and the rest to opposition parties were detained for up to 48 hours between 16 and 25 years’ imprisonment. In January and sometimes ill-treated by police in the months Idajet Beqiri, leader of an opposition party, leading up to national elections. The majority Unikomb, was arrested on similar charges, although appear to have been arrested for exercising, he had not held any senior official position. Reports non-violently, their right to freedom of expression, received by Amnesty International indicated that he association or assembly. On 28 May, two days after was being denied a fair trial. the elections, opposition parties held a demonstration in Tirana to protest against election Detention or ill-treatment of journalists fraud. The authorities refused permission to hold the demonstration which was violently broken up Official persecution of the opposition and by police who arrested and beat over 100 independent press increased. At least a dozen AI Index: EUR 01/02/96 Amnesty International August 1996 3 AI Concerns in Europe: January - June 1996 3 protesters, among them opposition leaders, women and that it be clearly defined; that measures and the elderly. Seven police officers were should be taken to guarantee that persons reportedly subsequently dismissed for could not be expelled or extradited to other “incompetence”. states where they were in danger of being subjected to torture; and that the authorities Death penalty should investigate and report back on allegations of ill-treatment of detainees. According to the President of Tirana district court, Members of the Committee raised Amnesty the court sentenced nine people to death in the first International’s reports of such allegations (see six months of the year. Three former communist AI Index: EUR 54/04/95 and EUR 54/05/95) officials were sentenced to death (see above) and six and, although these were denied by the other men were convicted of murder. No Armenian delegation, the Committee executions were carried out. recommended that they should receive a report back after a due investigation of the In June Amnesty International wrote to President claims. Berisha to call for the release of prisoners of The allegations that Amnesty conscience. The organization also called for former International has continued to receive include officials charged with “genocide” and “crimes reports that army conscripts have been beaten against humanity” to be granted fair trials. It said by, at the instigation, or with the knowledge of, that it believed that Idajet Beqiri might be a superior officers. Usually such allegations, prisoner of conscience and called for an urgent including claims that conscripts have died review of his case and that he be released if it were from beatings or subsequent lack of basic found that he was imprisoned solely on account of medical facilities, have been generalized. his non-violent political beliefs, or that he be Many alleged victims apparently fear granted a prompt and fair trial in accordance with reprisals, or have no faith in the authorities to international standards. Amnesty International conduct an impartial, or any, investigation. expressed concern about reports of the arrest and One more detailed incident which was ill-treatment of opposition supporters in connection publicized during the period under review, with the May elections and called for police officers however, concerned a young man named responsible for human rights violations to be Amayak Oganesyan who was called up into brought to justice. The organization urged that all the army on 1 May 1995. According to his death penalties be commuted and the death penalty father, Vardazdat Oganesyan, the ill-treatment abolished. began after the new recruits had taken the military oath (following 45 days initial training) ARMENIA and had been assigned to a unit. There a sergeant, whom he named, is said to have Allegations of ill-treatment in detention mocked him, inflicted a knife wound to the area of his ribs and hit him around the head with a In April the United Nations Committee against spade. Amayak Oganesyan, according to the Torture reviewed Armenia’s first report to account, was not taken to the medical unit and them under the provisions of the Convention instead the threat was made that “if you against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or complain we’ll blow you up on a mine”. A Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The group of soldiers is said to have beaten Committee noted positive aspects, such as the Amayak Oganesyan at the instigation of the integration of prohibitions against torture into sergeant at least twice over the next days, to the new Constitution adopted last year, but the point where he lost consciousness. recommended among other things that torture Eventually he was removed when the company be mentioned in penal law as a crime in itself, commander, a former neighbour, became aware of events and he was transferred to Amnesty International August 1996 AI Index: EUR 01/02/96 4 4 AI Concerns in Europe: January - June 1996 hospital. There a medical attendant is said to investigations, if any, had taken place into the have beaten Amayak Oganesyan when the allegations. latter was too weak to perform cleaning tasks In a separate development, two police required of him in the ward. Two days later officers were each sentenced to six years’ Amayak Oganesyan was reportedly further imprisonment following the death in custody of beaten with sticks and an iron when he refused Rudik Vartanian, who died aged 21 on 21 another soldier’s demand for his clothes. He January 1993 (see AI Index: EUR 54/05/95). was eventually transferred to a civilian Unofficial sources had alleged that he was hospital in Yerevan, the capital, where he was beaten by seven police officers and died of his diagnosed as suffering from lymphosarcoma injuries, including three fractures to the skull and eventually discharged from the army. said to have been inflicted with a blunt Vardazdat Oganesyan reports that he instrument. Two of the seven officers, Samvel made his first complaint regarding his son’s Dzhaginian and Artur Atabekian, were initially ill-treatment to the Chief Military Prosecutor of charged with premeditated murder, although at Armenia on 18 August 1995 and was informed their trial in late 1993 the judge sent the case that the complaint had been passed to the back for further investigation on the grounds military prosecutor of the Zangezur district.