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Show A World Tuesday, December 3, 1989 The Daily Herald, Provo. Utah Former party leader says his trial violates human rights TITOVA MITROVICA, Yugoslavia The main defendant in (AP) Yugoslavia's largest political trial in decades accused Serbia's leadership Monday of staging the trial as part of its policy of repressing ethnic Albanians. Azem Vlasi, a former Communist Party chief in Kosovo, told the court on the first day of his defense that "the trial represents the worst ossible violation of ... human rights." Vlasi and 14 other ethnic Albanians are accused of engaging in counterrevolutionary activities and of inciting unrest last winter in which at least 25 people died. At the time, ethnic Albanians, who make up almost 90 percent of the province's 1.9 million people, were angered by constitutional amendments that gave Serbia greater control over the affairs of the province. Kosovo is a part of Serbia, the nation's largest republic, and had previously enjoyed a measure of autonomy. Vlasi denied the charge that he was responsible for the deaths, which occurred during clashes be- tween protesters and security forces. He said his trial was organized by Slobodan Milosevic, the republic's leader, and Rahman Morina, Kosovo's current party chief. District public prosecutor. Spasoje Zamfirovic demanded several times that Vlasi be prevented from giving what he said was a political speech, but judge Ismet Emra overruled the objections. Vlasi denied he had visited a nearby mine, where workers staged sit-i- n in February to an eight-da- y "incite the strikers," as claimed in the indictment. biukeii. ' I can disappear physical! "I went there exclusively for hu- but I will not submit," he said. mane reasons," he said, adding The trial continues Tuesday and that he had reported his activities Vlasi's defense presentation is exto Milosevic and to Morina. pected to last five days. The federal leadership meanwhile "A political trial has been staged on behalf of a policy which advocatsaid Monday that a clash between ed repression in Kosovo so that (the Slovenia and Serbia, two of its province) may be ruled through a constituent republics, seriously state of emergency instead of dem- threatens Yugoslav unity. The statement from the nation's ocratic methods," Vlasi said. state presidency was Milosevic led the drive earlier carried by the official Tanjug news this year for constitutional amendments he said were necessary to agency. Serbia cut all political and busiprotect Kosovo's Slav minority from harassment by ethnic Albani- ness contacts with Slovenia last ans. Wednesday after authorities there banned a rally by Serbs. Vlasi, 42, faces the death sentence if found guilty. The presidency said without elabHe is being held in the Titova orating it will take all steps necesMitrovica prison during the trial, sary to solve the worst political which began Oct. 30. crisis in Communist Yugoslavia's 46 Vlasi said prison conditions were years of existence. "brutal" but that he would not be It said the federation's political eight-memb- er - grant one or the other an exit visa. Presentation of such lists, thou- sands of names long until recently, has been a ritual at high-levmeetings for years. The lists have shrunk steadily under Gorbachev, however, and only a few people are on the latest one. When Bush presented it during talks on the Soviet cruise ship Maxim Gorky, Gerasimov said, "We had a very long list of Soviet citizens who want to go to the United States and can't get visas, el which is a little bit against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Gerasimov told reporters later he was joking about the Soviets giving Bush a list, but said Gorbachev did respond to the U.S. presentation by reminding Bush that thousands of Soviets seeking visas line up outside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow every day. The United States, inundated by the flood of people now being allowed to emigrate, has drastically The Yugoslav federation consists and two autonomous provinces, encompassing varied ethnic groups and religions. The latest row brought to a head a long series of bitter disputes between Slovenia and Serbia. leaderSlovenia's liberal-oriente- d ship advocates regional autonomy and has legalized opposition parties that are to contest the first-evfree multiparty elections in War II Yugoslavia, scheduled of six republics er post-Wor- Lebanon (AP) -NABATIYEH, Militiamen allied with Israel shelled two south Lebanon towns Monday, d and in the Bekaa Valley, Hezbollah fighters drove Amal from three villages in combat, police said. Police said at least 15 people were killed and 48 wounded in the two flareups. Hezbollah, or Party of God, is fundamenComprised of talists. Mainstream Amal is allied with Syria. The two Shiite Moslem factions long have vied for control of the 1.2 million Shiites, the largest sect among Lebanon's 4 million population. I In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an Arab League commitee accused Gen. Syrian-controlle- house-jjo-hou- se pro-Irani- Michel Aoun of blocking a settleLebanese ment of the civil war, but urged the Christian commander and Syria" to avoid a new battle. President Elias Hrawi said Monday he was delaying for a few days any decisive action to evict Aoun from the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut. The Arab League appeal came after a two-da- y meeting of its committee on Lebanon. Aoun rejects a peace plan worked out at Taif, Saudi Arabia, in October and approved by the Lebanese Parliament. He also says Hrawi's election by Parliament last month was unconstitutional. His 20,000 Christian army troop ers fought a artillery war with the 40,000 Syrian soldiers stationed in Lebanon, which ended in September with a truce arranged by the Arab League. The Syrians moved in additional troops, tanks and heavy artillery, but the United States, the Soviet Union, the Vatican and former colonial power France urged Syria to show moderation and counseled dialogue to resolve the crisis. th Foreign Minister AH Akbar of Iran messaged Syrian Forreieign Minister Farouk terating Iran's support for Syria and denouncing "Michel Aoun's rufVe-lay- "SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador The leftist political opposi(AP) tion and humanitarian groups labeled as subversive for working with the poor have been driven underground or out of the country by a climate of persecution. Eileen Rosin, the sole representaMeditive of the Los Angeles-base- d cal Aid for El Salvador, left the ountry Monday after discovering her office was ransacked over the weekend. Neighbors said about 20 men in military uniforms entered it before dawn Saturday. For eight years, Medical Aid has distributed money for prosthetic devices, delivered donated medicines to hospitals and sent dozens of children to the United States for Operations beyond the technical means of Salvadoran hospitals. Ms. Rosin, 35, had worked in El Salvador for two years and left reluctantly for Los Angeles. "We had two little girls lined up for heart operations in the States. I don't know what will happen to them now," she said. The United Nations on Friday said it will transfer its Salvadoran offices to Guatemala "for lack of guarantees." Officials found equipment and ',: furniture at the main U.N. offices smashed following fighting last week around the building, in the affluent neighborhood of Escalon. Army troops had occupied the offices, which administered UNI-CE- F and refugee projects, after U.N. personnel were evacuated. When U.N. officials returned, they found scrawled on the walls: "U.N. equals FMLN equals Traitors." The letters stand for Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, the rebel group that last month launched its biggest offensive of the civil war. The government of rightist Alfredo Cristiani responded by declaring a state of siege that suspended constitutional guarantees. Hundreds of people have been detained since, including two dozen foreigners who work with churches or humanitarian groups. Almost all the have been deported, although some , remain jailed facing charges. Foreigners who work with the poor are called "internationalists," and they are a favorite target of the right, which accuses them of supporting revolution. A flier signed "Salvadoran air force," considered the most rightist U.S.-back- Mffl i fri-- ur 140,-00- 0. It was the third day militia gunners shelled the towns. Total casualties there since Saturday stood at eight killed, 38 wounded. El Salvador social, medical and educational work with displaced people and refugees. He commented in an interview in Mariona prison, where he and eight members of his church are jailed as alleged subversives. "With God, reason and might, we shall conquer" it said. "Salvadoran patriot: You have every right to defend your life and your property. If in order to do this you have to kill FMLN terrorists and their internationalist allies, do it." James A. BakIII has said the crackdown by Secretary of State er the government and armed forces was "absolutely appropriate." Washington has provided $4 billion in aid this decade to the Salvadoran government in the war, which has killed 71,000 people, 1,000 of them in the latest fighting. "We are in the catacombs. There is no prospect for above-groun- d humanitarian work with the poor in the short or middle term," said Episcopalian Rev. Luis Serrano, whose church has for years done GET A LOW PRICE TAG ON A MAYTAG! 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Six people were wounded in shelling of neighboring Nabatiyeh, police said. They said all casualties were civilians in the two towns, which have a combined population of branch of the armed forces, was found strewn on city streets over the weekend. PROVO Yugoslavia's political, economic and social problems have mushroomed since the death in 1980 of President Josip Broz Tito. 4-- News Agency said Monday. Opposition, humanitarians fearful in Slovenia. Wed., Dec. 6 Thurs., Dec. 7 limited the number given refugee status as victims of persecution and expects to turn away 200,000 in the next year. Soviet officials have estimated 5 million citizens will leave the country under a new law permitting the departure of most people who want to leave. Gerasimov said Bush had offered to begin negotiations on a trade agreement without waiting for congressional approval of status. the Islamic Republic fianism," ld political pluralism. Several Serbian firms said Monday they are severing all economic ties with Slovenian firms and closing down branch offices there. Economists say cutting business ties will backfire, since Serbia is economically much weaker than Remember To Redeem Your Santa Bucks battle in Lebanon; towns shelled Rival cen- tralized federation and opposes Western-styl- e tegrity." Soviets needle U.S. on limiting immigrants MOSCOW (AP) Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev chided President Bush at their Malta summit for not granting visas to thousands of Soviet citizens who want to live in the United States, a Soviet spokesman said Monday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen-nad- y I. Gerasimov said on the flight back to Moscow that Bush raised the human rights issue by giving Gorbachev a list of divided spouses the United States claims are separated by Soviet refusal to for next March. 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