Belgrade: Mass support for Milosevic

Mass demonstrations are taking place in Belgrade in support of ex-President Slobodan Milosevic and in protest of new legislation.

Thousands of strikers responded to the call of the Union of Serbian Trade Unions to demand the abolition of a project Decree that will cause thousands of job losses. The demonstrators and unions also call for the Minister of Employment to resign.

On October 21st and 22nd, there will also be a conference organized by the International Committee for the defence of Slobodan Milosevic. Dozens of experts from around the world, including Greece, the USA, the Netherlands and Italy, will meet to “collect all the political and juridical arguments against the detention of Slobodan Milosevic” and to coordinate a campaign to take action.

It will be remembered that the ex-President of Yugoslavia was spirited out of the country secretly and illegally after a hurried meeting by some members of the cabinet. The action is illegal under Serbian and Yugoslav Federal law, and, as such, the detention of Slobodan Milosevic and his transfer and imprisonment in the Hague is classified as kidnapping and illegal detention under international law.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru LISBON PORTUGAL