Illegal Extradition of Milosevic Condemned

Date: 
Friday, June 29, 2001

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

Illegal Extradition of Milosevic Condemned

The transfer of former President Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia to The Hague is an illegal and shocking act by the Serbian government. The hasty act of sending Milosevic to face trial at "war crimes tribunal", The Hague was taken after the Constitutional Court of Yugoslavia suspended the Cabinet decree in this regard.

The pro-western elements in the government had earlier failed to get Parliament to pass a law for extraditing Milosevic.

The Yugoslav government has in flagrant violation of Yugoslavian law and the Constitution taken the shameful step in order to appease the United States and western allies who have threatened to block further financial aid unless Milosevic is handed over.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) denounces this act of international brigandage. The Indian government should strongly condemn this action which is a threat to the sovereignty of all countries.