International Cronology of Transnational Radical Party: 2000

9 January
Italy: Rome - Bruno Zevi
Bruno Zevi, architect and architecture historian, Honorary President of the Radical Party and former Radical member of parliament, dies from suffocation caused by a coughing fit.

18 January
France: Strasbourg - Drugs
On the day that Marco Pannella is tried in Rome for acts of civil disobedience involving the distribution of cannabis derivatives to the public, a number of MEPs express, by way of an appeal, the hope that "these trials will pave the way for defining and enforcing more appropriate international laws and conventions, capable of combating the drug-traffickers and mafias that thrive throughout the world, thanks to the underground drugs market".
Signatories include: Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Monica Frassoni, Caroline Lucas, Alima Boumedienne-Thierry and Patricia McKenna of the Greens; Giuseppe Nisticò of the EPP; Gianni Vattimo, Demetrio Volcic and Sergio Sousa Pinto of the PES; Giuseppe Di Lello, Pernille Frahm (Vice President of the GUE group) and Fodé Sylla of the GUE.

21 January
France: Strasbourg - Conscientious Objection, Chechnya
On the initiative of the Radical MEPs elected on the Bonino List, the European Parliament calls for, in the ambit of a resolution on Chechnya, the retrial of conscientious objector Dimitrij Neverovskij, a Russian activist of the Transnational Radical Party and of the Associazione Radicale Antimilitarista, sentenced to two years for opposing the war in Chechnya.
On 2 February, Marco Pannella would present an urgent question to the European Parliament, concerning initiatives to be undertaken regarding the hunger strike embarked on by Neverovskij after being placed in solitary confinement.

9 March
UN: Vienna - Drugs
At the 43rd Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, chaired by Pino Arlacchi, the Transnational Radical Party - which enjoys consultative status at the United Nations - is denied the right to take the floor.
The Radical Party had prepared two speeches: one on the situation in Afghanistan, which strongly criticised the allocation of 25 million dollars for the eradication and conversion of drug crops in that country, and stressed the fact that the rights of women, children and non-Taliban were systematically crushed; and another speech endorsing the "shooting-rooms" that Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Spain and, more recently, Australia and Canada have started experimenting with to contain drug addiction.

19 March
Russia: Moscow - Chechnya
A demonstration against the war in Chechnya is organised in Pushkin Square by the Committee for Anti-War Actions. The Committee is composed of various NGOs, including the Associazione Radicale Antimilitarista and the Radical Party.

20 March
Russia: Moscow - Antimilitarism
The Khramov Club - an association for libertarian reforms whose members are mainly from the Radical Party and the Associazione Radicale Antimilitarista - announces its support for Grigorij Javlinskij in the presidential elections to be held on 26 March, since he is the only candidate who has had the courage, more than once, to openly and publicly declare that he is against the war in Chechnya, and to oppose the militarist policy implemented by the regime.

24 March
Holland: The Hague - Former Yugoslavia
Giulio Manfredi, an exponent of the Transnational Radical Party from Turin, sends another statement (the first was sent in May 1999) to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Public Prosecutor's Office in Rome and in Campobasso, the Italian Justice Ministry, the Head of the Prison Administration Department and the British Embassy in Rome, in which he requests the Italian and the international judiciaries to take legal action against Giovanni Di Stefano, the right arm of Serb war criminal Arkan (murdered in Belgrade), currently being held in Regina Coeli prison in Rome.

29 March
France: Strasbourg - European Parliament, Crimes against Children
During the discussion of the Klamt report on sex tourism involving children, Olivier Dupuis approves the report and urges the Parliament to set up a European commission of inquiry to investigate, in particular, the disappearance in Belgium of about 150 children, who have been sexually abused and, in some cases, murdered. Dupuis denounces the fact that the high authorities in Belgium obstruct the investigation of these crimes by defaming the victims and transferring police and judges elsewhere.

April
UN: Geneva - Human Rights
At the 56th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, 5 speakers take the floor on behalf of the Radical Party: Wei Jingsheng, on the violation of human rights in China; Huang Ciping, on women's rights in China; Akhyad Idigov, on the violation of the rights of the civilian population in Chechnya; Emma Bonino, on the infringement of civil and political rights in Italy; and Regina Louf, a former victim of the pedophilia rings in Belgium.

4 April
Italy: Rome - Martin Luther King
A ceremony and demonstration, organized by the Italian Radicals, is held at Piazza di Spagna to celebrate the anniversary of Martin Luther King's death.

20 April
Russia: Moscow - Conscientious Objection, Chechnya
Radical conscientious objector Dmitrij Neverovskij is released after being imprisoned for 146 days.

12-14 May
Germany: Berlin - Tibet
Emma Bonino and Olivier Dupuis speak, on behalf of the Radical Party, at the Third International Conference of the Tibet support groups, proposing that the Chinese and Tibetan authorities embark on negotiations under the aegis of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, with a view to obtaining full autonomy for Tibet within the limits of Chinese borders.

20 May
Italy: Rome - Adelaide Aglietta
Adelaide Aglietta, a well-known exponent and pillar of the Radical Party, dies in Rome, after being seriously ill for years. Former secretary and treasurer of the Radical Party, she was also elected to the Italian and European Parliaments several times.
On 22 May a ceremony of remembrance is held at the Capitol in Rome, at which Gianfranco Spadaccia and Marco Boato speak.
On 13 June, the European Parliament remembers her at a ceremony during which Nicole Fontaine (President of the EP), Claudia Roth, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Gianfranco Dell'Alba, Gianni Vattimo, Marco Pannella, José Maria Gill-Robles and Liu Tok (the Dalai Lama's representative) honour her.

4 June
Italy: Rome - China, Human Rights
On the anniversary of the Tienanmen Square massacre, Italian Radicals demonstrate outside the Chinese Embassy in Rome, holding aloft a banner reading: "The World Must Not Forget".

5 June
On the occasion of President Putin's visit to Rome, Italian Radicals stage a protest outside the seat of the Italian Government.
Slogans: "Tienanmen Yesterday, Chechnya Today: Stop Massacring Human Rights and Lives", "Chechnya: Talks Between President Putin and President Maskhadov Wow", "To Russia, With Love: Peace in Chechnya Now", "Chechnya: the War Must Not Last a Day Longer, President Putin".

15 June
Italy - Syria, Human Rights
On the death of the Syrian dictator Assad, Emma Bonino comments in an article published by Italian daily La Stampa: "I watch (...) dumbfounded as Romano Prodi and other European leaders elbow their way to Assad's coffin, just as they elbowed their way to Qaddafi's Bedouin tent. Now they sing the praises of dictators as if they were models to copy. At this very moment, while they are holding an in-depth discussion on the 'vocation for modernity' of Assad's son Bashar (will we find ourselves with another Assad?), I would like to be with those Libyans and Syrians who continue to fight for democracy, and to tell them that I sincerely hope they will very soon be governed by fellow citizens (and they are not few) who believe in the rule of law and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights".

24 June
UN: Geneva - Russia, Radical Party
Following a speech made at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva by Akhiad Idigov, member of the Radical Party and President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the legitimate Chechen Parliament, Russia calls on the United Nations to permanently deprive the Radical Party of its consultative status which, since 1995, has permitted it to denounce in New York, Vienna and Geneva the systematic violations of international law and human rights that take place all over the world.
Not content with accusing the Radical Party of supporting terrorist groups, Russia also claims that it is in the pay of international drug mafias and it promotes pedophilia.

5 July
Italy: Rome - Iran, Human Rights
The Radical Party takes part in a demonstration and torchlight vigil organized by the Jewish Community to protest against the extremely heavy prison sentences and corporal punishments dealt out by the Iranian authorities to 13 Jewish citizens accused of spying for Israel, but who, in fact, were only "guilty" of being Jews.

5 July
EP - Tibet
The European Parliament passes an emergency resolution on Tibet, in which the Parliament asks, for the first time, that the possibility of recognising the Tibetan Government in exile as the legitimate representative of the Tibetan people be seriously considered, should the Beijing authorities and the Tibetan Government be unable to reach an agreement on a new statute for Tibet within three years, during talks organized under the aegis of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The Radicals, EPP, ELDR, UE, Greens and EDD vote for the resolution.

5 July
Italy: Rome - Homosexuals
The Radical Party endorses and takes part in the World Gay Pride march, together with members of FUORI! (the gay liberation front that in the 1970s federated with the Radical Party).
The Loffredo Jazz Band accompanies the Radical group.
Slogans: "Stop Sexual Discrimination", "Straight/Gay = Love".

17 July
Italy: Rome - International Criminal Court
A European intergovernmental conference on the Statute of the International Criminal Court, organized by the Radical association "No Peace Without Justice" and under the patronage of the Italian Senate, is held at the Capitol to celebrate the second anniversary of the adoption of the Statute. At the conference a campaign is launched to secure, by 17 July 2002, the 60 ratifications of the Statute that are required to render the Court operative.
(Another 19 States ratify in 2000, bringing the total to twenty-five: The 19 States are: Austria, Belgium, Belize, Botswana, Canada, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Mali, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Norway, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Tajikistan, Venezuela).

18 July
UN, Radical Party
To counter the Russian attempt to have the Radical Party expelled from the UN, an appeal is launched in which parliamentarians, dissidents, men of science and human rights activists who have been able to speak at the United Nations thanks to the Radical Party, affirm that: "The expulsion of the TRP would be an attack on the freedom of opinion and of expression. It is for this reason - to defend our (and your) right to speak - that although we do not share all the objectives of the Transnational Radical Party, we have decided to defend its freedom, by supporting its extraordinary enrolment campaign and therefore becoming members of the Party for as long as this intolerable threat continues to exist" .
Many international personalities sign the appeal, including the writer Vladimir Bukovskij, Elena Bonner Sacharov, Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng, André Glucksmann and Benjamin Ferencz, former prosecutor of the Nuremberg Tribunal.
In Italy the appeal is signed by parliamentarians from majority and opposition parties, all the group leaders in the Chamber and the Senate, as well as life senators Norberto Bobbio and Giovanni Leone.

21 July
EP: Brussels - Macedonia
Olivier Dupuis submits, in writing, a priority question to European Commissioner Chris Patten, in which - making reference to a law about to be voted on by the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia that would guarantee recognition by the State of private universities and allow the Albanian Community to benefit from first-class higher education - he asks if the Commission is prepared to allocate direct and generous financing to such universities.

26 July
Italy: Rome - Radical Party
In reply to a question submitted by Senator Piero Milio, elected on the Bonino List, concerning the position of the Italian Government regarding the Russian proposal of suspending the Radical Party from taking part in the proceedings of the United Nations for three years, Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato acknowledges that the charges against the Radical Party are unfounded and affirms that Italy is against such a suspension and, indeed, any solution involving a compromise.

4 August
European Parliament - Tibet
Following reports in various newspapers that two European petrol giants, AGIP and BP Amoco, are to participate in the China National Petroleum Corporation project to extract and transport Tibetan gas and oil resources to the People's Republic of China, Olivier Dupuis presents a written priority question to the European Commission in which, among other things, he posits that the exploitation of Tibet's natural resources by China, the increase in the number of Chinese colonies in Tibet required to realise the project and the environmental damage that the latter will involve, should dissuade any company in the European Union from taking part in it.
Senator Piero Milio of the Bonino List presents a similar question to the Italian Government.

August
UN: Geneva - Human Rights
The Transnational Radical Party participates in the 52nd Session of the UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.
Radicals speak on the issue of female genital mutilation, on the rights of the child, on discrimination against Gypsies, on the right to asylum and freedom of movement. The Radical delegation includes Nigerian Olajinka Koso-Thomas, leader of the international campaign against genital mutilation.

31 August
EP - Cloning
The 7 Radical MEPs on the Bonino List ask the Conference of the Presidents of the European Parliament to place on the next agenda a declaration by the Commission on therapeutic cloning.
The 7 Radicals intend to present a resolution firmly endorsing the proposals on cloning recently put forward by the British Government led by Tony Blair.

11 September
Italy: Rome - United States, Death Penalty
The Radical association Hands Off Cain takes part in a demonstration outside the American Embassy, in an attempt to suspend the execution of Rocco Barnabei, a condemned prisoner in Virginia.
The Secretary of Hands Off Cain, Sergio D'Elia - in a passing reference to countries like China, Iran, Iraq and Cuba - reminds us: "For one American, like Barnabei, whom we are able to find out about and, we hope, save, there are thousands of unknown and undefended individuals in the world every year, whom the press does not talk about and for whom we can do nothing. To do something for these people, to try and save them all, Italy and Europe - after the failure of the initiative at the UN last November -must strive harder and take more responsibility if the initiative for a UN moratorium on executions is to succeed".

15 September
European Parliament - Sakharov Prize, Tibet
Over 100 MEPs from all parliamentary groups endorse Tibetan Ngawang Sangdrol's candidacy for the 2000 Sakharov Prize awarded by the EP, which was proposed by MEPs Olivier Dupuis (Radical), Thomas Mann (EPP) and Reinhold Messner (Greens). Ngawang Sangdrol, who has been in prison for 8 years, was arrested at 13 for having taken part in a demonstration for the freedom of her people. She had another 3 years added to her sentence for smuggling out a cassette on which she and her cellmates sang of their hopes for a free Tibet.

11 October
Italy - UN, Radical Party
The Italian Chamber of Deputies approves a motion - presented by the Hon. Marco Boato and signed by all the group leaders in the Chamber and the Senate (except the Northern League and the Communists) - engaging the Government immediately to embark on any action or intervention, at the bilateral or multilateral level, that will result in the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) of the UN rejecting the Russian Federation's proposal to suspend the Radical Party for three years.

18 October
UN: New York - UN, Radical Party
The Economic and Social Council of the UN rejects the Russian proposal - with 23 votes in favour, 20 against and 9 abstentions - thus allowing the Transnational Radical Party to continue to play an active role at the United Nations. "The defence of the fundamental principles of law and of democracy has prevailed," commented Marco Pannella. "This was a result of the mobilisation of the Western democracies, first Italy, France, Germany, the United States, Canada, and then the others."

18 October
Georgia: Tblisi - Antonio Russo
Antonio Russo, journalist and Radio Radicale's foreign correspondent, is found murdered 40 km. from Tblisi in Georgia. He was about to return to Italy, after completing a reportage on the war in Chechnya.
The funeral takes place on 28 October at his home town Francavilla al Mare, near Chieti, and mourners included Marco Pannella, Emma Bonino, MEPs of the Bonino List, and Radical Senator Piero Milio.

 

 

 

 

5 November
Italy: Rome - Birth Control
During the celebration of the Holy Year of the "politicians", at St. Peter's Square, Italian Radicals stage a protest against the position and the initiatives undertaken by the Pope and the Catholic Church with regard to birth control, sexuality and abortion. They raise a banner reading: "Yes to Condoms - Yes to RU 486", and are stopped by the Vatican police.

23 November
Italy: Rome - Chechnya, Human Rights
A Conference entitled "Cecenia: una guerra nascosta" ("Chechnya: A Hidden War") is organized by the Radical Party and MEPs on the Bonino List. Speakers include: Andrej Babitski, journalist and author of a reportage on Chechnya broadcast by the BBC; Sainap Gashaeva, leader of Chechen Women; Anne Nivat, journalist from Liberation; Stefano Citati, journalist and representative of Reporters Without Borders; Libkan Basaeva, President of Women of Caucasia.

24 November
Italy: Rome - Drugs
The MEPs on the Bonino List organise a Conference entitled: "Shooting-Rooms: Why Does Heroin Therapy Exist in Europe but Not Yet in Italy? - New experiments involving 'harm reduction' and cures for drug addiction. Supervised centres for the individual consumption of drugs. European initiatives." ??? Participants include: Dr. José Ignacio Echaniz Salgado, Head of the Health Department in Madrid; Prof. Martin Killias, criminologist, University of Lausanne; Dr. Regina Ernst, Head of Drug Policy in Frankfurt (am Main); Dr. Ignazio Marcozzi Rozzi, President of the Agency for Drug Addiction in Rome.

November
EP: Brussels - Women, Human Rights
An "International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation" is organized by the group of MEPs on the Bonino List. Many exponents from the legal and political fields and also from voluntary organisations meet to stop the barbarous acts inflicted on millions of women and children in the world. The meeting is chaired by Emma Bonino and Maurizio Turco. EU Commissioners Vitorino and Diamantopulous, among others, take the floor.

1 December
Russia: Moscow - Drugs
On occasion of the world day against AIDS, the Radical Party organises an antiprohibitionist demonstration outside the Health Ministry of the Russian Federation.
Slogans: "Heroin Cures to Fight the Mafia and Death"; "A Harm-Reduction Programme Now!"; "Yes to Freedom of Therapy".

3 December
Mali: Turela - Women, Human Rights
On occasion of the Mali Conference - for the ratification of the Statute of the International Criminal Court by the African States - Emma Bonino visits the village of Turela, one of the places where the mutilation of female genitals has been abolished, independently, by the inhabitants.

5 December
Italy: Turin - Tibet
The Regional Council of Piedmont unanimously approves an agenda on the "Recognition of the Rights of the Tibetan People", presented by Radical councillors Bruno Mellano and Carmelo Palma, the Head of the Department of Culture Giampiero Leo and the leader of the Democratic Left group Pietro Marcenaro. The approved document calls on the Italian Government to enforce the resolution passed by the European Parliament on 6 July, concerning the possibility of recognising the Tibetan Government in exile as the legitimate representative of the Tibetan people, should the Beijing Authorities and the Tibetan Government not reach an agreement on the new statute for Tibet within three years, as a result of negotiations organized under the aegis of the UN Secretary-General. To emphasise its commitment on this issue, the Regional Council decides to fly the Tibetan flag.

7-8 December
EP: Brussels - Tibet
An international seminar entitled: "A New Statute Granting Full Autonomy to Tibet Within Three Years, or International Recognition of the Tibetan Government in Exile", is held by the Radical MEPs and the Radical Party.
Speakers include: Wei Jingsheng, leader of the Chinese democratic opposition and EP Sakharov Prize-winner; Thomas Mann, President of the Tibet Intergroup at the EP; Kunzang Yuthok, the Dalai Lama's Paris representative; Chime Chhoekyapa, the Dalai Lama's Budapest representative; Claude Levenson, Sinologist and writer; Georges D'Allemagne and Josi Dubié, Belgian senators.

18-21 December
Holland: The Hague - International Criminal Court
A familiarisation course on the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court - promoted by the Asser Institute, Science Alliance and the Radical association No Peace Without Justice - is held for parliamentarians, politicians, experts and jurists. Emma Bonino is one of the speakers.