1987. november (125-143. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
HtiKKSé&lAlf UCSPeeSl^a^ dl 24/D Littlc Rutsell Street, LONDON, W.C.i -Ttl.D^-W z< 26 ■ G. Krassé 136/1987 (E) 23rd November, 1987 Open Letter to János Kádár. The Closing Declaration of the Budapest International Seminar. On Saturday afternoon, on the first day of the Budapest seminar which ended yesterday and focussed on the European influences of Gorbachev's politics and the cooperation of European alternative and democratic move- ments, Mikolta Bognár read out a declaration which had been signed by many people. The declaration demands that the Hungárián authorities re- lease László Rusai who was arrested in Hatvan on November 9th. On Sunday afternoon Olga Diószegi spoke about Zsolt Keszthelyi's situation to the seminar participants; he has been imprisoned fór conscientious ob- jection. Afterwords the presiding Mary Kaldor, a well-known figure in the Western European peace movements, read out an Open Letter written to János Kádár demanding the release of all those imprisoned fór conscientious objection. Miklós Barabás, the generál secretary of the Hungárián official Peace Council, opposed the acceptance of the letter as a common declaration; despite this more than fifty of those present signed the declaration. In actual fact the number of signatories was much greater, bút two sheets full with signatures mysteriously disappeared. The Open Letter addressed to János Kádár reads as follows: To Mr. János Kádár, Budapest. On our common ground that conscientious objection to military service is one of the basic humán rights, we demand the release of all people who are imprisoned fór their refusal to serve in the Hungárián army. We have particular information about and therefore pút special emphasis on the cases of the following: Barna Csontos, János Dombi, György Hegyi, József Péller, Péter Orbán, Imre Szalai, Géza Uzsák and Zsolt Keszthelyi. We alsó demand that the United Nations Commission on Humán Rights' motion ECN .4/1987/L.73 which recognizes conscientious objection as a humán right should be pút intő practice in Hungary. Our Information Service completes those said above with the names of József Katona, András Kozák, Zoltán Schmeller and Ernő Tóth; they have alsó been imprisoned fór conscientious objection in Hungary. The participants of the seminar issued a closing declaration yesterday evening. Miklós Barabás opposed the acceptance of this declaration as well, bút the overwhelming majority of the seminar's more than 200 participants signed the document which consists of two parts: Part I (Press Communiqué) Citizens from seventeen countries of Europe and the USA, active in work fór peace, democracy and détente, gathered in Budapest on November 21 st and 22nd to discuss the following issues: (1) European perspectives on Gorbachev's reforms. (2) Conscientious objection, East and West. (3) Possible common aims and prospects fór an all-European democratic movement.
