Baghdad, May 9, 2002
The Seventh Session of the Committee of Follow-up and Co-ordination of the Baghdad Conference has been finished in Baghdad on May 9, with participation of 160 representatives of about 90 political parties and organizations from more than 40 countries of all continents, including the MPs from Belgium, Belarus, Canada, France, Greece, Great Britain, India, Italy, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Spain, Ukraine, ministers from South Africa and Malaysia, as well as high representatives from all Arab countries and from several countries of Africa and Latin America.
Representatives of several Yugoslav parties also took part.
The Conference has adopted a joint Declaration, reflecting the common views on the contemporary international processes, and condemning the imperialist “globalization”.
A special joint Statement containing the strong demand for release of President Slobodan Milosevic, has also been adopted, upon initiative the SPS representative and Head of Human Rights Commission of Yugoslav Parliament, Mr. Zivorad Igic.
The full text of the joint statement:
“At the Seventh Session of the Committee of Follow-up and Co-ordination of the Baghdad Conference held in Baghdad on 7-9 May 2002;
Having discussed the question of putting President Slobodan Milosevic before a so-called “Ad Hoc UN Tribunal” at The Hague;
The Conference adopted the following
STATEMENT
1. The Conference does not accept the legality of the said Tribunal because it is politically motivated and was not legally constituted.
2. It is the people of Yugoslavia who are the only authority competent to deal with any matter pertaining to their country, Yugoslavia.
3. President Slobodan Milosevic should be released immediately from illegal detention, as this is the only step, which conforms to international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”
