Serbia: Protect this brave woman, stand out publicly against the hate campaign directed at her

Open letter to

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Boris Tadic

The Prime Minister of Serbia, Vojislav Kostunica

The President of the Parliament of Serbia, Predag Markovic

The Minister of Justice of Serbia, Zoran Stojkovic

The Minister of the Interior of Serbia, Dragan Jocic

The Minister for Human Rights and Minority Rights of Serbia-Montenegro, Rasim Ljajic

Deadly danger for Europe’s most renowned human rights worker in Belgrade

Dear Sirs,

The most renowned and bravest human rights worker of Europe, the president of the Helsinki Committee of Serbia, Sonja Biserko, and her family are in deadly danger. We address ourselves to you with the urgent request to protect this brave woman, to stand out publicly against the hate campaign directed at her for many years and to recognize her work.

Sonja Biserko has stood up tirelessly for human rights and civil rights. She raised her voice against the Bosnian war and against the genocide against the Bosnian Muslims. Together with the Serb anti-war movement she tried to save Serbia and its neighbours from this war. She has worked for the victims, has protested at international conferences with many publications, books and articles against the war crimes, she has initiated projects for the return of the Serb refugees to the Croatian Krajina and together with the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) she has supported the women of Srebrenica. And already before the Kosovo war she started a Serb-Albanian dialogue, which could have prevented war and expulsion.

Last year the Serb human rights activist was physically attacked in front of her house in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Two months ago her dwelling was broken into, the police were informed and a investigation was started. Yet the police guard, posted in front of her house, was recently irresponsibly withdrawn.

The permanent campaign of lies and hate was greatly increased by the Serb newspaper "Tabloid” on 8th September 2005: Sonja Biserko was absurdly accused of being a Croat spy, her private address was published (street, house and flat number) and also the personal data of her nearest relatives.

This is all tantamount to a call for lynch justice and this in a country, whose prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic was the victim of a cowardly murder two years ago.

We are profoundly disturbed that the leaders of Serbia and Serbia-Montenegro do nothing to protect this internationally renowned human rights worker, who is doing so much for the future of Serbia. We urgently beg you to do all in your power to protect Sonja Biserko from these pogrom-like methods.

We shall today also send copies of this letter to the United Nations, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the OSCE, the human rights organisations of the western world and the governments of Europe and North America.

The Committee of the Society for Threatened Peoples International:

Tilman Zülch, President, D-Göttingen

André Rollinger, Vice-President, L-Luxembourg

Hans Bodenreiter, A-Vienna

Sharon Silber, USA-New York

Fadila Memisevic, BiH-Sarajevo

Hans-Peter Biegler, CH-Berne

Wolfgang Mayr, I-Bolzano

Vicente Mariqueo, RCH-Temuco