WASHINGTON, March 5 (Hina) - Croatia was given 35 pages in a U.S. State Department report on human rights in the world, and an assessment that was almost the same as the year before, sufficient, but with many remarks. The report says
that Croatian authorities generally respected human rights more, but that serious problems remained. These include arbitrary arrests and detention, and accusations against people for war crimes. The report reads that Serbs are arrested on very poor evidence. There were instances of religious or ethnically motivated violence and harassment, especially against Serbs and Romany, says the report. The government generally respected freedom of speech and the media, but on the local level pressure on the media continued, the report says, adding there are still 1,200 slander lawsuits against journalists. The State Department's assessment is that religious rights are res
WASHINGTON, March 5 (Hina) - Croatia was given 35 pages in a U.S.
State Department report on human rights in the world, and an
assessment that was almost the same as the year before, sufficient,
but with many remarks.
The report says that Croatian authorities generally respected
human rights more, but that serious problems remained.
These include arbitrary arrests and detention, and accusations
against people for war crimes. The report reads that Serbs are
arrested on very poor evidence.
There were instances of religious or ethnically motivated violence
and harassment, especially against Serbs and Romany, says the
report.
The government generally respected freedom of speech and the media,
but on the local level pressure on the media continued, the report
says, adding there are still 1,200 slander lawsuits against
journalists.
The State Department's assessment is that religious rights are
respected, and that it is now easier to found and register non-
governmental organisations.
The report criticises delays in the restitution of nationalised
church property and private property which was previously socially
owned.
Cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague and
international organisations is improving, U.S. diplomats say.
The report points to violence against women and trafficking in
women for prostitution, and adds that authorities did not respect
some labour rights in practice.
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