FED: Yugloslav guilty declaration disturbing: Howard

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-1999
FED: Yugloslav guilty declaration disturbing: Howard

CANBERRA, April 18 AAP - Allegations by a senior Yugoslav official that two Australian aid
workers were guilty of spying were a disturbing development, Prime Minister John Howard said
today.

Yugoslav Foreign Ministry spokesman Milisav Pajic this morning said from Belgrade that CARE
Australia workers Steve Pratt and Peter Wallace were guilty of espionage.

His comments appeared to pre-empt any official trial for the two workers, who were detained
at a Yugoslav border crossing on 31 March while trying to escape fighting in the county.

While Mr Pajic said the Australians would likely be granted a consular visit this week, it
was not required under emergency marshal law in force in Yugoslavia since damaging NATO
airstrikes began.

"This will be a goodwill gesture from our behalf," Mr Pajic told the Nine Network.

But Mr Howard rejected those comments and reiterated that the spying charges against the
two were preposterous.

"We can only say again that they are entitled as non-combatants, as aid workers, as
humanitarian people, they are entitled to immediate consular access, decent treatment and a
fair trial," Mr Howard told Channel Nine.

"... And when you hear people being declared guilty in advance of a trial, it is
disturbing."

Mr Howard said the Yugoslavian marshal law provision should not be applied to the two CARE
Australia workers.

"We are not at war with Yugoslavia, they are Australian nationals, they are not American or
British nationals, they are not combatants," Mr Howard said.

"They are Australian humanitarian aid workers and therefore I do not accept that at
all."

Mr Howard also made a plea for Mr Pratt and Mr Wallace's families to fight off any despair
they might be feeling.

"The Australian government is doing all it humanly can, in every way it can, to get get
consular access, to try and get a fair trail and try and get the men out," he said.

AAP rft/trm

KEYWORD: KOSOVO HOWARD

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