OSIJEK CENTRE FOR PEACE HAS DOCUMENTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

OSIJEK, July 7 (Hina) - The Osijek-based Centre for Peace, Non- Violence and Human Rights on Monday reported that it was in possession of documents on cases of human rights violations in Osijek during the Homeland War, committed mostly by military housing fund commissions. It also reported that it had information on unsolved murders committed during the war. #L# The coordinator of the Centre's programme, Katarina Kruhonja, said at a press conference the Centre wanted to respond to the coverage of the trial of persons accused of the 1991 war crime in Paulin Dvor by some media, which claimed that criminal activities had not happened in Osijek during the war. She stated that back in 1993 the Centre had forwarded to competent authorities a report on the eviction of citizens from their flats by the military housing fund commission, which was chaired by the then president of the Osijek District Court and official of the local Croatian Democratic Union, Petar Kljajic. "Since we did not receive any official reply, we decided to send the report again to the State Prosecution," Kruhonja said, adding that the public expected complete information on how many cases of unexplained murders and mining of houses, business facilities and cars had happened. The head of the Centre's human rights programme, Biserka Milosevic, said that "unexplained murders did happen in Osijek during the Homeland War", about which the Centre "has some information, and wants competent authorities to state how many such cases have been processed and how many have not". She stated that this "does not bring into question the Homeland War" nor does it imply the collective responsibility of Croatian soldiers, because the incidents in question were excesses which required the establishment of individual responsibility which could not be connected with collective responsibility. Officials of the Centre say that they are not familiar with recent accusations by former Osijek County prefect Ladislav Bognar about the murders of Croatian soldiers, who were subsequently reported killed in action. However, they do not agree with claims that the rule of law functioned and that there were no criminal activities at the time. (hina) rml sb