ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - The human rights situation in Croatia was gradually improving in the course of 2003 as against 2002, the president of the Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (HHO), Zarko Puhovski, said during the
presentation of annual HHO awards for the promotion and protection of human rights in Zagreb on Tuesday.
ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - The human rights situation in Croatia was
gradually improving in the course of 2003 as against 2002, the
president of the Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
(HHO), Zarko Puhovski, said during the presentation of annual HHO
awards for the promotion and protection of human rights in Zagreb on
Tuesday. #L#
"After last year's stalemate, the human rights situation this year
started moving in a positive direction slowly and painstakingly, so
we are back at the zero level again," Puhovski said at the award-
giving ceremony at the Croatian National Theatre.
Puhovski said that progress had been made in the areas of economy
and social rights (lower unemployment) and legislation (the
adoption of a law on the right to information, the Constitutional
Court decision annulling changes to the Penal Code). He also said
that the rights of returnees were also slowly improving, despite
some opposition.
Commenting on examples reflecting the poor human rights situation,
Puhovski spoke about the pressure exerted on Bosnian Croat refugees
residing in the area of Knin, delayed restitution of confiscated
property, and the overstepping of deadlines for the appointment of
the Croatian Radio and Television Programmes Council.
The HHO expects the newly-elected government to normalise
relations in the country and react on violations of human rights.
"We expect changes from the new government, we expect it to learn
something from the former government, which was confused and acted
in a neutral manner, and especially from the first government,
which had an explicitly negative attitude to the protection of
human rights," Puhovski said.
The HHO's Josko Kulusic Award for contribution to the protection of
human rights in the area of the media was presented to Rade
Dragojevic, a reporter with Novi list daily, and, for the first
time, to a rock band, Hladno pivo.
The Masovic-Nikolic-Vincetic Award for the promotion of inter-
religious dialogue went to a Jesuit priest, Martin Sentic.
The annual Miko Tripalo Award, which is given to state officials and
politicians who make concrete contributions to the promotion and
protection of human rights outside their professional duty, was not
presented to anyone because none of the officials made concrete
contributions to the promotion of human rights, Puhovski said.
(hina) rml sb