Estonia may have violated Geneva convention

TALLINN- The Defense Ministry may launchproceedings to look into reports that Estonianvolunteers on a humanitarian mission to Georgiamay have breached the Geneva convention by entering a restricted area in aconvoy of the Red Cross, Eesti Paevaleht daily reported.

A punishment could greet for the Estonianvolunteers who used the Red Cross as cover to enter the town of Goricontrolled by Russian troops, the newspaper said.

Aet Kukk, chief of the press office of the Estonian Defense Ministry, said that under law the name and thesymbols of the Red Cross may be used only by the medical services of armedforces, the International Red Cross and its members.

"Other persons may use the symbols only in cases set out in theinternational law and they must have a corresponding permit or authorization.Misuse of the symbol of the Red Cross is punishable," Kukk said.

The secretary general of the EstonianRed Cross, Riina Kabi, said that using a Red Cross convoy to enter a crisisarea constituted a violation of the emblem of the Red Cross.

"Such activity puts the work of the people of the Red Cross in jeopardyand is illegal too," Kabi said.

The Estonian Penal Code givesa fine of up to 18,000 kroons (EUR 1,150) or detention as punishment for misuseof the name or the emblem of the Red Cross.