European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 10, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 a a a the stars and stripes thursday May 10,1990 Estonia declares Solidarity with Baltic republics Tallinn . Apr Estonia on tuesday dropped part of its name and the Hammer and sickle Flag and proclaimed Solidarity with Latvia and Lithuania in their drive toward Independence from the soviet Union the estonian parliament without formally declaring Independence a constituted several paragraphs from its 1938 Constitution including a proclamation that Estonia is a an Independent Republic with the supreme state Power vested in the  it also dropped the words a soviet socialist Quot from its name becoming simply a the Republic of  and it adopted its old Tricolour National Flag in place of the red Banner of communism. The parliament said the Steps were intended As a show of Solidarity with Estonia s sister Baltic republics of Lithuania and Latvia which have issued declarations of Independence. A the path to our own statehood is not easy but we Are convinced that Here in the Baltic we three a acting together a will arrive at a restoration of our Independent Stales More fruitfully than if each were to struggle on its  a statement said. Latvia issued a declaration of Independence May 4 but did not ask for an immediate break with Moscow or suspend the soviet Constitution. Torture in Turkey still widespread rights group says London apr six months after the government proposed new human rights safeguards widespread torture and other abuses continue in Turkey according to a report released wednesday by amnesty International. A in Early 1990. Thousands of people remained imprisoned for political reasons including hundreds of prisoners of conscience convicted for their non violent political or religious activities a the International human rights organization said. A among them Are members of political organizations. Trade unions and kurdish groups As Well As journalists and religious activists. The use of torture continues to be widespread and systematic in some cases resulting in  in september and november the government announced proposals governing length of detention Access to lawyers and Protection for prisoners of conscience. None of those proposals has been enacted. Under the government proposal the maximum detention period under police custody would be reduced from 15 Days to four to 10 Days although longer detention would be permitted under emergency legislation. A while these draft amendments if passed would represent a step in the right direction they nevertheless would fall Short of International standards in important respects a amnesty said. The report included testimony from several prisoners who said they were tortured with beatings on the soles of their feel electric shocks showers of ice cold water and hanging by their arms. Soviet marines March wednesday in a Parade marking the 45th anniversary of Victory in world War ii. A Wii vets hear Gorbachev slam Stalin so Gross blunders by the Baltimore Sun Moscow a addressing an aging audience of by meddled world War ii veterans soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev tuesday attacked soviet dictator Josef Stalin s once sacred War record As riddled with errors and insisted on the need for Reform of today a military. Gorbachev s speech marked the 45th anniversary of the Victory Over Adolf hitlers Germany. A the most important lesson presented to us by the history of the War is that in order to survive Mankind must unite and disarm Quot Gorbachev said. In mentioning German unification Gorbachev did not repeat a soviet demand that a unified Germany not enter nato. The Victory anniversary was marked wednesday by a military Parade through red Square. What was new in Gorbachev s speech was the unflinching pronouncement of the truth about Stalin a blunders before an audience that undoubtedly included Many still clinging to the myth of the late dictators military Genius. Gorbachev did not mince words. He condemned Stalin a Quot mindless decimation Quot of the officers ranks before the War his utter refusal to believe the evidence that Germany was preparing an attack on the soviet Union which was then its ally and other errors. Quot the enormous political and moral Cost of the delay in entering the War was compounded by the Gross strategic errors that followed Quot Gorbachev said. Quot the situation was worsened by the fact that our army was bled dry or More precisely decapitated by the monstrous executions of the military command. By removing and subjecting to repression the leaders of armies corps divisions brigades and even regiments Stalin destroyed the entire management system of the country a defense. About 40,000 officers parted with their lives or their  Gorbachev for the first time paid tribute to the work of innocent political prisoners a about whom we were silent for decades and who produced Coal Gold Iron Ore and lumber in Siberia. A Beme daled War Veteran watches a Victory Banner carried past during anniversary observances. T Calderon sworn in As Costa rican Leader Rafael Angel Calderon dons the Costa rican presidential Sash tuesday. San Jose Costa Rica apr Rafael Angel Calderon assumed the presidency tuesday from Nobel laureate Oscar Arias and proclaimed the ambition of latin americans most stable democracy is to become a a world Power of disarmament and human  recalling his father who was sworn in As president 50 years ago Calderon promised a government of National consensus in which private Enterprise will be the motor of what he termed a economic  but he also lamented the Large Federal budget deficit a 6 percent of the Gross National product a and said austerity measures will be needed during his first year to control inflation. Quot there Are economic world Powers and military world Powers. We Only aspire to consolidate ourselves As a world Power of disarmament and human rights a Calderon told a crowd of 50,000 in the National soccer stadium after receiving the presidential Sash from Arias and taking the oath of office. Seven Heads of state a including Calderon a four Central american colleagues a attended the inauguration and first lady Barbara Bush headed the . Delegation. Calderon a 41-year-old lawyer and a politician since adolescence hailed Arias work on behalf of peace in Central America. The outgoing president was awarded the 1987 Nobel peace prize Tor his authorship of a plan that has promoted though not completely achieved regional peace. A Halfway Down the Road toward peace it is incumbent upon us the presidents of the Region to go on to a new phase of the process in which the great goal will not be to silence the Roar of the cannons but to finally lift ourselves toward economic development a Calderon said