newsitems

A fresh Franco-German will to boost EU's role and Values in the World, before a key Sarkozy-Merkel summit in Berlin next week, was stimulated by the hommage paid in Strasbourg to the memory of Alsace Region's f. head, Adrian Zeller's zeal "to prepare the Metropolis of Superior Rhine's area" (OberRhein), as his faithfful 1st vice-President, Bernard Stoessel, said to "Eurofora", after a ceremony hailed by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, and German key Minister Wolfgang Schaüble, together with thousands of People, EU and CoE's Officials at Strasbourg's Cathedral.                           

 

Prime Minister Fillon, followed in Strasbourg by several French Ministers of Justice (Alliot-Marie), Environment, Energy and Transports (Borloo), Interior (Hortefeux), EU affairs (Lellouche), Courts (Bockel)n Senate's President Larcher, EU Commissioner Barrot, Top MEP, Barnier, etc, stressed that Zeller's work at EU core's "Rhenan region" was a "struggle for a fraternal Europe, that he could not conceive otherwise but united and stimulated by the Franco-German friendship".   

   At the same time, "Zeller's Party was that of Good People", "independent and conscious", "honouring the light which exists in every Human being" : "In the name of a Humanism" which "did not dissociate Economic and Social progres", he pioneered the creation of a "Minimum Revenue for Existence" as early as since 1986. Something particularly useful today, "in front of the abuses of a Financial Capitalism without Morals", because of his "refusal to let our World be deprived of its most essential Values", observed Fillon.

 

 Confirming a joint Franco-German will to relaunch EU's role, German key-Minister Wolfgang Schaüble, of Chancellor Angie Merkel's CDU/CSU party, spoke of EU's core as "our Common Home" in Strasbourg's "Superior Rhine area" (OberRhein), and praised Zeller's life-long belief that, "born at the hardest moments of 2nd World War", "the only way to a Future of Peace and Prosperity" is to boost by the "Franco-German friendship" a "United Europe".

 

    They both referred also to Zeller's famous will to boost protection of Natual Environment at EU's core-region of Strasbourg's Alsace, thanks to "Scientific Innovation", able to develop EU's industry above competition by low-technology and polluting countries such as India or Turkey, etc. (as he had said in an interview). Zeller was proud to speak about "Innovation" and "Environment" in Alsace, showing to "EuroFora" fex. the EU prize it won as "1st" European Region on "Energy Efficiency", awarded for 2008 by EU Commissioner on Environment, Costas Demas.

    Fillon concluded by an appeal for a "more united Europe with resolve", thanks to the same "Spirit" that French President Sarkozy highlighted earlier this week in his Annual European and Foreign Policy speech :

    - Today, "Europeans" must "reply to the Question" if they "want for the EU to become a Power", "to be one of the main Actors of the 21st century", in order "to make things happen" at the International stage, "instead of being (only) affected by them". "If Europe really wants, Europe can do it". "All EU member States are equal, but it's the Responsibility of the biggest EU countries, as France and Germany", to "get more actively committed" : "EU had arrived at a halt, because bigger countries didn't put in the European motor enough fuel to go forward", Sarkozy said in Paris.

    - "For Europe to become anew able to make History, instead of being only affected by it, EU must assert its Values", i.e. Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, "and defend them, without being aggressive, but by taking a firm stance". That's why, "Big Countries must show the way, our Values". Because, EU "has Values, it has an Identity", for which "some things are Unacceptable", stressed Sarkozy, referring to some examples of Human Rights' violations, refusals to acknowledge an internationaly recognized State, excessive "bonuses" to Financial Market actors irresponsibly playhing with Energy or Food prices at Stock Markets, etc.

    German Chancellor Angie Merkel, reportedly reacted from Berlin by marking her agreement with Sarkozy's criticism against any "return back to abuses in the Financial Markets", at a moment when EU and the World should focus on overcoming the Global Cirisis.

    Symbolically, ECHR's President, Jean-Paul Costa, who currently prepares a Top-level Conference for a much-needed reform to revitalize the panEuropean mecanism for the protection of Human Rights at Swiss ressort of Interlaken, early 2010, was present at the Franco-German hommage paid to Zeller.

    - Zeller's "Human, Political and Moral stature reminds (christian catholic) pope Benedict's 2009 encyclic, which stresses that Human Development is impossible without faithfull People, consciously dedicated to struggle for the General Interest" and Humanity's Common Good, said from the outset Strasbourg's Bishop Mgr. Gralet. He was followed by christian protestant leader Collange, who hailed Zeller as "the most Protestant among Catholics", and "open to Inter-Religious Dialogue".

    In substance, the French President lauched a call to fight against Cheap Labour obtained by violating Human Rights and/or Labour Law, and by Polluting factories damaging the Natural Environment, because this is equivalent to Unfair Competition, "Social and/or Environmental Dumping",

    Sarkozy also launched a call for a UNO, (as well as IMF and World Bank), with more "Legitimity", i.e. not reduced into a mere toy of a few, but becoming part of a larger and more Democratic International Community, with a "New Global Governance" in a "Multi-Polar world".     

    The current Franco-German wish to act now, together with various allies, at a World level, was reflected also at Zeller's memorial ceremony  : - "He (Zeller) wanted to promote Strasbourg's region as Europe in the whole World : He was a Globalist", said to "EuroFora" the President of EU Parliament's largest Group (ChristianDemocrats/EPP), Joseph Daul.

    Former EuroMEP at EU Parliament in Strasbourg and Minister, after working at EU Commission in Brussels, until now member of CoE's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, (where he recently spoke at a PanEuropean debate on LRA's contribution to overcome the Economic Crisis), Zeller headed Strasbourg's Region Alsace during almost all 15 Years of "EuroFora"' founder's work as a Journalist in the European Press (1996 - 2009), Thus he was naturally one among the first to be informed on "EuroFora" project, as he had willingly invited us to do on 2007, giving his personal details.
    
    "EuroFora" had been surprised to hear Zeller, a notoriously  pro-Regionalist, address a CoE Conference on "Regionalism and Europe" by stressing the fact that "in France, everything important is always decided at the Top of the State, ..including Regionalisation"... Experienced politician, he realized that a firm belief on the capacities of regional grass-roots energies at Local and Citizens' level, should go together with far-reaching views at the Political Top of big States, European and International organizations.
-------------
    Significantly, all these recent moves came shortly before an important Franco-German Summit Sarkozy - Merkel in Berlin (31/8/09), which precedes a key Foreign Minister's "Gymnich" meeting on September 4 in Sweden, due to prepare crucial issues for decision by EU Chiefs if State/Government on December 2009.

    This is added to an important G-14 Global Economy gathering at Pittsburg, on September 24 and 25, as well as to the preparation of the forthcoming Copenhagen World Summit for the protection of Climate, December 2009, as Sarkozy observed, calling to open World-wide Debates, actively involving the International Public Opinion, on all those topical Global issues.

   

    A landmark ECHR Judgement condemning a State for "Failure to preserve" Evidence of possible crimes, was published this week in Strasbourg, shortly before ECHR's Grand Chamber issues its final judgement on the crucial for Cyprus' "MISSING" people case of "Varnavas v. Turkey", a CoE Senior Official revealed to "EuroFora".  

 EuroJudges condemned Italy to pay 45.000 Euros to the Family of a killed man, for "Failure to preserve the body" of the victim, released despite the "shortcomings in a Forensic examination", concluding that "the Investigation was Not adequate in that it did not seek to determine who" had been Responsible" for violating the Human Right to Life.

    The move came after CoE Senior Officials and International Human Rights' NGOs warned "EuroFora" that CMP's current program limited ONLY into Identifying EXHUMATED bodies and giving them away to Families WITHOUT ANY FORENSIC EXAMINATION able to find out what really happened to the Victims and who has Responsible, RISKS TO DESTROY EVIDENCE of Turkey's Crimes on most cases (See previous NewsReports).

    In the 2009 Italian "Giuliani" ruling, ECHR denounced a "Superficial Autopsy" because it "couldnot" be "the Starting point for an effective subsequent Investigation". This is contrary to every CoE Member State's "Obligation to protect the right to Life, ..in conjunction with the State's ..duty ..to  “secure to everyone within their jurisdiction (his/her Human) rights..", by  an "effective official investigation ..in every case of a killing resulting from the use of force, regardless of whether the ..Perpetrators are State Agents or Third Persons".
---------------------------------
    + Recently, another CoE member State (France), was condemned for "DESTRUCTION OF PROOF", at the demand of a Victim's Family, ...the same week that was anounced in Cyprus an "acceleration" of controversial CMP's exhumations and reburrials, despite Victims Families' demands to stop limiting action only into identifying a person who "disappeared" 35 years ago, without making full investigations to find out what happened and who was responsible, according to ECHR's case-law.

    - "For the 1st time in History", Judges condemned a National Public Administration for "DESTRUCTION OF EVIDENCE" and  for "OBSTRUCTING THE QUEST OF THE TRUTH", after an application lodged by the Family of a  man found Dead in controversial circumstances, reported  the French Press.

    The victim's Family's case had been initially rejected by a 1st judge, but they insisted and won the case in appeal, the judges condemning a Public Administration placed under State responsibility, to pay more than 122.400 € FOR DELAYING to allow TO SEARCH search for a material EVIDENCE (the tape of a phone call to a Hospital) related to the causes of the death, WHICH "DISAPPEARED" when the Family, finaly, obtained acces, many Years later !...

    The landmark case concerned a civil affair, not as grave as the tragic and massive Enforced Disapperances of more than 1.900 Greek Cypriots since the 1974 Turkish Military Invasion and Occupation, but, obviously, its conclusions should A FORTIORI apply in Turkey's case, which is notoriously worse, since Ankara, did not delay full Investigations "only" for 9 Years, as in the French, "Daniel Levy" affair, (according to the victim's name), but ..35 Years, bearing grave Responsibilities for any eventual "Obstruction to the quest of Truth"..
---------------------------------------------------------
    * By a coincidence, this was published the same day that, in Cyprus, Greek Cypriot MISSING People's Families reportedly reacted to anouncements that controversial CMP's exhumations and reburrials without any Investigation on what really happened to the victims and who was responsible, would "accelerate", despite Turkey's persisting refusal to make full investigations :

     - "The most important for us, families" of MISSING people, "are two crucial points : That unearthings and identification of remains are only a part of the procedure, and that we must find a way to pass to a substantial Investigation", reportedly said the President of MISSING persons' Families, Nicos Theodossiou.  "Because the Families have a Right to Know the Truth. You can't merely give some remains to the Family, without any reply to the HUGE QUESTIONS which remain UNANSWERED all these years".

    As if echoing Theodossiou's earlier statement, this week's ECHR's judgement on the above-mentioned Italian case, speaking as a matter of General Principle, denounced the fact that an insufficient "Autopsy examination ...LEFT TOO MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED".  And "these shortcomings must be regarded as particularly serious given that the body was subsequently released" in a way "rendering it impossible to conduct any further analyses", ECHR added.

 

     But earlier in Strasbourg, experienced top representatives of International NGOs, as Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, etc., replying to "EuroFora'"'s Questions, had warned that CMP's notorious limits risk to Destroy Evidence on Greek Cypriot "MISSING" persons, if it persists to do Exhumations and re-burrials without even a Forensic Examination of the remains and other findings before it becomes too late in order to learn what really happened to the victims, find and punish those responsible, according to ECHR's case-law.  

 The move came after CoE Parliamentary Assembly adopted a Resolution declaring "the Fight against Impunity of Perpetrators of Serious Human Rights Violations as a Priority for the CoE, and all National and International law-enforcement bodies".=> "Impunity must be eradicated, both as a manner of Indiividual Justice, and as a Deterrent with respect to Future Human Rights Violations", CoE's Resolution pointed out.                  

    In this context, "EuroFora" raised, in a Press Conference by International Human Rights Organizations, such as AMNESTY, "Human Rights Watch", etc, a Question related to the controversial CMP's limits and recent activities in Cyprus, which are notoriously restricted into only exhumating and identifying remains from "MISSING" People, without searching to discover what really happened to them, nor to find and punish those responsible :

- "About Impunity : Do you think, according to your experience, that it might be ...dangerous, to limit investigations only to Exhumations and identifications, without doing any Forensic Investigation, and afterwards ...have reburrials of the remains ? Does this ...risk to erase material Proof ? Or, is there a technical, efficient way to preserve it, even without a Forensic Examination ?", we asked.

The reply, given by the experienced Director of AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL's Programs, Claudio Cordone, was clearly "No !" :

 - "In order to know what happened, if ...there are some remains of people having been killed by someone, it doesn't make sense to try only to do a Partial thing. Because it's not just by digging out a body that you'll find things. YOU NEED A FORENSIC EXAMINATION, you need to have the History, to have Witnesses, Relatives, and so on", he stressed. -"So, unless you can bring all these things together, it's probably better not to disturb things". As "it happened" elsewhere, "most recently", "some mass graves were found, and bodies were digged out, and later taken away, and EVIDENCE GETS LOST. Then, it's more difficult when it comes to establish what happened", he warned. => "Based on the Experience of  Balkans and other places, it's a Comprehensive approach to establish what happened, to people that have been killed. And, unless you can do it properly, it might be better that you don't disturb", he concluded...

AMNESTY's crystal-clear reply to "EuroFora"s Question (See above), is a damning denunciation of a March 2009 CoE's Committee of Ministers' controversial decision to let CMP go on with its program limited only to exhumations and identifications of Cyprus' MISSING People, without initiating any Forensic Investigation.

- CoEs' calls to "safeguard data" seem empty words in these conditions, because Evidence really risks to be destroyed and cover-up grave Crimes for ever !  (See above) (This was later softened, but not settled, by a better but insufficient yet wording at CoE's June 2009 decision ; See previous NewsReports).
-----------------------------------------
    + CoE's Director on Human Rights, Philippe Boillat from Switzerland, speaking exclusively to "EuroFora" afterwards in Strasbourg, stressed that CoE asked Turkey at least to "preserve" all findings on Missing People, so that an Investigation can be possible : - "It's clear that we (CoE) ask" Turkey "to preserve all material findings, so that they can be used when eventually an Investigation may take place later on", Boillat said.- "We (CoE) insisted, and this was made clear when the CMP came in Strasbourg (March 2009), we stressed that you must absolutely preserve everything that yo might find, so that investigations remain possible eventually later-on", CoE's Senior Official reiterated.

    "Eurofora" refered to the question we raised to International Human Rights' Organizations at a Press Conference in the CoE earlier in Strasbourg, "whether unearthings, exhumations and reburrials, without Forensic examination, risk to destroy Evidence, or if there is a way to save the proof ?". And to the fact that their reply was clearly "No !" (See supra)

    Boillat clearly indicated to "EuroFora" that he was aware of the fact that, if a Forensic Investigation is not made when at the moment and on the spot of an unearthing (exhumation) then, often, it affects Evidence of Crimes, because "it disappears"...  But, "I don't enter into this question now",  he reacted, curiously leaving this precise question unanswered, arguying of "lack of Time"...
----------------------------------
"HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH"'s Director for Europe, Holly Cartner to "Eurofora" : - "FIGHT IMPUNITY" is key for "FUTURE RECONCILIATION"
--------------------------------------------
     - However, "Fighting against Impunity, is not merely an issue of "knowing" only "the Past History", on "what really happened, etc", but it's also an issue concerning the Future : ""The best prevention of Future Crimes is to punish those who were committed in the Past. On the contrary, nothing is more dangerous for the Future than Criminals who remain unpunished, despite grave torture, Killings and Destructions of their Victims' belongings ", replied to "EuroFora" in substance Mrs Holly Cartner, Director for Europe and Central Asia at "Human Rights Watch".

                            (../..)

    In a 1st European reaction to this week's revelations that 5 Greek Cypriot disarmed, helpless Prisoners of Turkey's Army were murdered in cold-blood, and that a Family was massacrated in Occupied Lapithos village, including a Mother and 2 handicaped Children, an experienced, key CoE Senior Official, said to "EuroFora" that findings may have a "Major Impact" on ECHR judgements' execution.    Developments "depend" also on actions that could be taken by Cyprus MISSING People's Families themselves and/or other Human Rights' NGOs to address the CoE, he added. This meets a growing frustration of Victims' Families, who called "EuroFora" in Strasbourg to express their "pain" provoked by the recent scandalous findings, but also Authorities' pressure to restrict public action on Turkey's crimes, on pretext to keep a "positive atmosphere" for Peace talks and for the ..opening of a ..road at the "Green Line" in ...2010 (!), even if, in other countries, Reconciliation was obtained also by measures against Crimes of the Past to ensure that this will never happen again in the Future.

-----------------------
      - "On that issue, of course, these findings may have a very major impact, one or another, (in order) to think that, yes, we do have, on enough cases, enough Evidence to start now the examination of the question of Responsibility" of Turkey by CoE's Committee of Ministers, possibly from its September 15-16 Human Rights meeting in Strasbourg, CoE's Official stressed.

    - Until now, CoE Ministers' "general philosophy, so far, has been a "2-stages Rocket" : That is, first, push for exhumations to ensure that this program works, plus ensuring that the CMP (an UNO-sponsored organ) is well aware of the importance of not destroying Evidence, but of keeping very good records of everything, about the ways of finding photographs or other material which may subsequently be important when you have to start to look at the question of Responsibility, which is not part of the CMP work", he noted on the 2007-2009 period.
-----------------------------------------
- Germany + Argentina condemned this week Criminals 65 + 33 years after the events. Why not Turkey ?
------------------------------------------
    CoE's Official said that the same week that War Criminal ex-NAZI Army Officer Scheungraber, was condemned in Germany for crimes committed ..65 Years ago ! Sheungraber, after being initially condemned "in absentia" by an Italian Court, for the killing of 11 civilians in Italy during the 2nd World War, which passed its sentence over to 'German Authorities, was now personally judged and definitively condemned also by a German Court at Munich.

    On Thursday, it's ex-General Omar Riveros who was condemned in Argentina for torturing to death a politician's Child, aged 15, who had gone "MISSING" back in 1976.  Several such trials for "Crimes against Humanity" committed during the 1970ies, close to Turkey's military invasion of Cyprus, were made possible after Argentina decided to open Army Archives for investigations on the fate of MISSING people, who disappeared during a so-called "Dirty War" of the 1970ies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    That's why CoE's latest decision on Cyprus' MISSING people, taken on June 2009 in Strasbourg, also "reiterated ... the urgency for the Turkish authorities to take concrete measures, having in mind the Effective Investigations required by the Judgment" of the ECHR on the landmark "Cyprus v. Turkey" affair, which, according to ECHR's well established case law asks for Investigations to extend on what really happened to those who "disappeared", and on finding and punishing those responsible.

    - "Now, how exactly this 2-stage rocket should work, if the CMP should be allowed to finish its work before the responsibility questions are evoked, is a Question under Discussion", the CoE Official observed.

    He was replying to a "Eurofora"'s question on Risks for Evidence of Turkish Crimes to be destroyed if Exhumations and re-burrials continue and accelerate without any Forensic Examination on the spot, nor full investigations, because of CMP's notorious limitation to "identification" of victims only.

    This risk to destroy evidence of crimes was earlier denounced by statements to "EuroFora" both by a CoE Official and by "Amnesty International"s program Director, Claudio Cordone, who represented the famous Human Rights' INGO at CoE's bi-annual debate on the "situation of Human Rights in Europe" recently in Strasbourg :

    - "About Impunity : Do you think, according to your experience, that it might be ...dangerous, to limit investigations only to Exhumations and identifications, without doing any Forensic Investigation, and afterwards ...have reburrials of the remains ? Does this ...risk to erase material Proof ? Or, is there a technical, efficient way to preserve it, even without a Forensic Examination ?", we asked the experienced INGO Expert.

    AI's Claudio Cordone's reply was clearly "No !":  - "In order to know what happened, if ...there are some remains of people killed by someone, it doesn't make sense to try only to do a Partial thing. Because it's not just by digging out a body that you'll find things. YOU NEED A FORENSIC EXAMINATION, you need to have the History, to have Witnesses, Relatives, and so on", he stressed. "So, unless you can bring all these things together, it's probably better not to disturb things. Most recently, it happened in (similar cases) : Some mass graves were found, and bodies were digged out, and later taken away, and EVIDENCE GETS LOST. Then, it's more difficult when it comes to establish what happened", he warned. "Based on the Experience of  Balkans and other places, (i.e. Rwanda, etc) it's a Comprehensive approach to establish what happened, to people that have been killed. And, unless you can do it properly, it might be better that you don't disturb", he concluded.

    This may explain why Ankara's Ambassador had recently asked CoE to practically "freeze" for .. "2 Years" Turkey's obligation to make full investigations on what really happened to Cyprus' MISSING persons and who was responsible, with the obvious risk to loose or destroy evidence...

    Exceptionally, in POW's and Lapithos' rare cases,  no investigation was needed in order to prove that a Crime was committed by Turkish State Agents :  Unlike most cases of MISSING People, where the proof of probable Crimes committed by Turkey's Army has yet to be found, on the contrary, in these cases, information and Photos obtained earlier in exceptional circonstances had already proved that the 5 G/C soldiers had been taken alive as prisoners of Ankara's invasion troops, while it's well known that killing POWs is a War Crime.

    In consequence, after this week's discovery, that Turkey's Army was killing in cold-blood even helpless Prisoners, it becomes more obvious than ever that in the vast majority of the other 1.600 cases of Greek Cypriot MISSING persons, (where such "Photos" don't exist), the mere return of some bones, without any efficient investigation on what really happened to the victims, is not at all enough in order to find the Truth....

    It's at this crucial point that Cyprus' MISSING People Families' request for Ankara to "open the Archives of the Turkish Army", as a step towards long-due "effective Investigations", becomes more important and urgent than ever, (while CMP's exhumations accelerate, without any forensic examination).

    - "These allegations, I'm not sure that they have been brought so straightforwadly before the (CoE's) Committee (of Ministers), and that's a question for the actions of the differend Governments", astonishingly told us the experienced CoE Senior Official.

    - "But, then, you see, according to the Rules of the Committe, NGOs and National Human Rights Institutions may also address the CM with claims and observations... It's in the Rules since 2006", he pointed out.

     -  "And I think that, what will happen, now, on this issue, will very much depend on the position taken by other States, but possibly also by NGOs and others who may also address the Committee of Ministers and put the case that you suggest", CoE's Senior Official told us.

    - "That and other issues (?) could be better elucidated if we (CoE) had better input from NGOs. But, they have been rather absent so far, leaving the Cypriot Government rather much on its own in this case", the experienced CoE Official regretted...- "It's a bit surprising that NGOs haven't shown more interest in this" (Cyprus' MISSING people's drama), he observed.

- But "I don't have much comment to add" on that, since "I think that the most things you said yourself earlier", he concluded, referring to our observations against Risks to destroy Evidence of Crimes, and for Investigation's access to Turkey's Military and Prisons' Archives (See supra).
-----------------------------------
    Pressure on Ankara to stop denying access to its Archives to find what happened to MISSING persons, as well as to search and punish those responsible, should logically grow on September in Strasbourg, when CoE's Committee of Ministers will review decisions and promises made on June, particularly after this week's revelations.

    On June, CoE's Ministerial Committee, while "reiterating .. the urgency for the Turkish Authorities to take concrete measures" for "effective Investigations required by the Judgement" of the ECHR on Greek Cypriot MISSING people, "noted with interest" a "Declaration of the Turkish Authorities that they are ready to consider any request ... relating to access to information".

    But Turkey's promise, (apparently done to give the impression that it will stop obstructing ECHR judgement's implementation), was restricted only to the controversial "CMP", and only for "information and places relevant for its work", which is notoriously limited merely into identifying dead, without searching to find what happened to them and who was responsible.

    All this points anew at NGO's and MISSING persons' Families' possible actions to overcome CMP's limits and raise Ankara's responsibilities, as the key CoE's Senior Official told us (See supra)
------------------
* Families of "MISSING" persons to "Eurofora"  : Eager to act, but frustrated by obstacles : - "They tied our hands, while we feel a great pain !"
----------------------------
     - "We are glad to hear that", reacted relatives of Cyprus' MISSING persons, who called  "EuroFora" in Strasbourg to learn about CoE's calls on Turkey and ECHR's case-law for full investigations to discover what really happened to MISSING persons, find and punish those responsible.
    
    - "Those who are Guilty must be found and punished !", stressed Androula Aristodemou, a relative of MISSING persons. "Let's hope. Let God inspire those who are in charge".

     >>> - "We have Testimonies and Photos that even whole Families were taken alive, as prisoners, but we didn't yet find anyone alive until now. We have those Women kidnapped from their Homes by the Turks, some 30 Children aged less than 16 taken by the Turks, we have testimonies of Babies taken from their Mothers, etc. What happened to these children ?", she wondered, particularly in the worrying new light shed by this week's tragic revelations.

    - "I have a Room plenty of such and other Photographs from MISSING people", she told us.

     - "Pain" felt from scandalously tragic revelations of Turkey's Crimes, but also from heavy restrictions and pressure from Authorities in Cyprus, who reportedly oppose MISSING persons Families' thirst for action to expose Turkey in public, was denounced by themselves to "Eurofora" in Strasbourg, after contacting us by phone, at their own spontaneous initiative, shortly after the revelations were made known :

    - "I find that in Cyprus they have trampled underfoot our Human Rights !", denounced with bitterness Aristodemou, a relative of MISSING persons, who called us together with Mrs Yanoula Leonti, who lost her husband and that we met earlier in Strasbourg during a landmark ECHR Hearing, on Autumn 2008;

     - "We saw that Turks even killed a Family in Lapithos, at Kyrenia, entered in a Home and killed in cold-blood both Parents and the Children (mentally handicaped) in their beds, helpless, without anyone to defend them. And on 4 Young men, soldiers that we hoped until now to find alive, because we had Photographs showing that they had been taken Prisoners alive, but we found out that they had been atrociously murdered in cold-blood, unarmed, after being taken as prisoners'  

- "With great Sorrow, for many days I didn't sleep. These things provoke great concern (among MISSING persons' Families) - "I was ready to go on a Hunger strike, but they (the Authorities
in Cyprus ) told us not to disrupt the "atmosphere" of (intercommunal) Talks"...
                                                                                
-  "And it hurts us a lot (it's great pain) to tie our hands (by Cyprus' Authorities), and not let us free to revendicate what we want". - "Turkey committed those Crimes. Why is it a shame to make it known, since it dit that ?", she wondered.

- "We said to go (to demonstrate) in front of (foreign) Embassies". "But they told us to keep quiet, "not to provoke" the Turks, etc. Because they try to open a road from Limnitis" (next ...April 2010 !)..

- "They have our hands tied, while we feel a great Pain" !

- "That's why I took the initiative to call you, so that you can know what is going on in Cyprus", she concluded.
----------------------------------
 * INGOs to "Eurofora" : Real RECONCILIATION starts when Impunity on Crimes of the Past ends...

-----------------------------------------     

- However, "Fighting against Impunity, is not merely an issue of "knowing" only "the Past History", on "what really happened, etc", but it's also an issue concerning the Future", and how to build Reconciliation on solid basis, stressed earlier in Strasbourg International Human Rights' NGOs :

     - "The best prevention of Future Crimes is to punish those who were committed in the Past. On the contrary, nothing is more Dangerous for the Future than Criminals who remain unpunished, despite grave Torture, Killings and Destructions of their Victims' belongings ", replied to an "EuroFora"'s question, earlier at the CoE, Mrs Holly Cartner, Director for Europe and Central Asia of "Human Rights Watch".

    On the contrary, there where there aren't legitimate fears, claims or investigations for Crimes, as f.ex. at Malbrok village, Germans and Polish are organizing on Friday a "Remembrance" and "Dignity" re-burrial of some 2.000 bodies accidentaly found at a 2nd World War Mass Grave 66 Years after the events.

    Thought to be mostly German civilians mainly dead by hunger, diseases and/or bombardments at the end of 2WW, "less than 1% have Bullet wounds".

    On the contrary, the 5 Greek Cypriot POWs reportedly have Bullets in their skulls...

    - "The Fight against Impunity of Perpetrators of Serious Human Rights Violations, as a Priority for the CoE, and all National and International law-enforcement bodies", is supported by a recent Resolution of CoE's Parliamentary Assembly adopted at the end of June 2009 in Strasbourg.

    -  "Impunity must be eradicated, both as a manner of Individual Justice, and as a Deterrent with respect to Future Human Rights Violations", CoE's Resolution points out.  
------------------------
    - "Our appeal to the authorities... has had absolutely no effect. ...The perpetrators of these crimes must be identified and brought to justice.....impunity ....must be brought to an end. The authorities' credibility and responsibility are at stake", stressed CoE Assembly's leaders this week in Strasbourg.

They were speaking about an appeal dating only from "last MONTH" (i.e. June), upon Russia, where various killings of journalists, NGO activists, policemen, ministers, presidents and even of woman judges occured at Northern Caucasus, an area notoriously suffering also from an oil-gas routes' competition between Russia and Turkey.

But nothing was said yet on Turkey's failure to respond to CoE's "appeals" on G/C MISSING persons for more than ..35 YEARS !

As International NGO "Human Rights Watch"'s Director on Europe and Central Asia, Mrs Holly Carlton, observed, in reply to an "EuroFora" Question recently in Strasbourg, "...my understanding is that the CoE....is being clearly more forceful on Chechnya ...(against Russia) than .. on Turkey" !...
------------------------
* Turkey's continuing failure to comply with ECHR's case-law on  Cyprus' MISSING persons lasted too long, for victims' families...  
-----------------------------------
- "I have been struggling", on the MISSING people "Humanitarian drama", for "35 Years", 1974-2009, told us Aristodemou.

 - "Something must be done" at last now, she added on a reference to Turkey's controversial 1999-2009 EU bid.

- "Because MISSING People's Mothers, one after the other, are leaving this life with the sorrow of not seing their sons. When MISSING persons' Mothers die, they are burried with their hands holding a Photograph of their beloved Child".

-  "A Greek Mother from Nikaia, who died, left us a photograph, with her last words for her son :  - "If you see him, tell him that my Heart didn't stand waiting for him", and she died. I almost "adopted" her son as mine, because he didn't have a father nor brothers or sisters alive", the Cypriot relative of MISSING people told us.

Speaking exclusively to "EuroFora", the New EU Parliament's President, former Polish Prime Minister, ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Jerzy Busek, welcomed proposals by EuroFora about innovative ways for EU Citizens to attend EU debates before important final decisions which affect people's lives.

- "We (EU Parliament) must be transparent", Buzek stressed from the outset.  "We must have clear answers also for delicate questions. If we don't touch a problem, you must know why, and when shall we decide in the nearest future".. "Because "we (EU) must think about Europeans, first of all : They don't understand well what is going on in the EU. So, it's our duty to inform them, to make discussions here more interesting".

"EuroFora" congratulated President Buzek for the anouncement he made, from the 1st day of his election in Strasbourg (on Tuesday, 14 July 2009), on his intention to make  transparent debates, exchanges of views, etc. before the final adoption of decisions in EU Parliament's Plenary, when issues are evolving inside Committees, (See earlier publication).

And we reminded, in this regard, that "EuroFora" has been advocating a project for EU Citizens' active involvement in pluralist EU debates before important EU decisions, since more than a Decade : 1997-2007+

- "Thank you. We (EU Parliament), indeed, have exciting debates", Buzek replied. But, in practice, "without a possibility for our Citizens to see them, not even by the Press, the Radio or TV, etc., because it is in Committees", he regreted.

- "But, they (i.e. Media, Citizens, etc) might interact with you, with MEPs, etc, May be we can imagine something", "EuroFora" proposed.

- "Yes, (but) it needs, a quite new idea", Buzed observed.

- "Why not through some innovations ?", "EuroFora" suggested.

- "Innovation ? That's it. Fantastic  New Information Technologies !", Buzek realized.

- "Precisely, "EuroFora" has such a project, since more than a Decade (1997-2009), to use new technologies for public debates before major EU decisions are taken", we reminded.

- "If you have such proposals, please come to us, come to us. We must" do something, agreed the new EU Parliamen's President.

 

    For that purpose, obviously information and debates are valuable, but purely instrumental, procedural means which can help focus on, and highlight a substantial content, attractive to EU Citizens, which needs to be determined by other, political, and not mediatic factors.  

    Buzek spoke about the urgent need to overcome the Global Economic Crisis,  the struggle for Human and Civic Rights, Democracy, etc., the Eastern Partnership, links with Russia, strategic partnership with USA and emerging countries, etc.

    But he also used (while speaking both to "EuroFora" and other Media) the expression : "The Europeans", for EU Citizens. This points right towards what several important EU leaders (including French President Sarkozy, German Chancellor Merkel, etc) have started to highlight particularly during the recent years : That there is a vital need, and an historic opportunity, for the development of a European Conscience, to stimulate e renaissance of a European Identity able to attract Popular support, for the EU to become a strong player in a Multopolar World : In other words, the revitalisation of a project for a "Political Europe".

    By a coincidence, this was indirectly but surely reminded, earlier in Strasbourg, by another ... Busek (this time with a "s") : 

    Speaking to more than 650 participants from CoE's member countries, at the conclusion of the 2009 Summer University of its Political Schools, Erhard Busek, (with an "s"), former vice-Chancellor of Austria and EU Coordinator for South-Eastern Europe, pointed at the current need to revitalize Europe's "Identity", forged by Greek philosophy and Roman Law, Christian values and Enlightment's ideas, etc. through the ages.     

- "We have almost the same name with Jerzy Buzek (EU Parliament's new President, who is a former Polish Prime Minister), because both our Families come ...from  the same village, located at the Heart of Europe, which was often shared between Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. But my family emmigrated a long time ago to Austria, while Jerzy Buzek's family remained in Poland", explained f. vice-Chancellor Erhard Busek to "EuroFora".   

 An astonishingly concrete and simple example of European Integration from the grassroots : Starting by EU Citizens, i.e. those "Europeans", that EU Parliament's new President, Jerzy Buzek (this time with a "z"), wants to bring alongside MEP's decision-making proces, (according to "EuroFora"'s main idea : Comp. supra)...