PULA: JOSKO JORAS TAKEN TO MUNICIPAL JAIL

PULA, Aug 21 (Hina) - Josko Joras, a Slovene citizen residing in Mlini in the Buje area in Istria, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and taken to Pula's municipal jail where he will serve a 30-day sentence. #L# The warrant for his arrest says Joras ignored seven misdemeanour proceedings which were conducted against him at the municipal court since 1999. He also disregarded the fines the court ordered him to pay as well as court expenses. The judge, thus, decided that he be imprisoned for a 30-day term. The Buje police on Tuesday forwarded two new requests for initiating proceedings against Joras for disturbing public peace and order (he hoisted the flag of another country in Croatia, without permission, for a second time) and leaving a border crossing on the Croatian-Slovene border without permission. Both events occurred on August 18. The judge ordered the police to remove all foreign flags Joras put up on his house without the permission of competent Croatian bodies, except for the flag of the European Union. The police were instructed to exercise their powers to overcome passive or active resistance. The regular trial against Joras is continuing, during which the judge will set the dates for new hearings to hear the defendant. The latest charges against Joras have been pressed for his violating the Law on Public Peace and Order (he disturbed public peace and order, illegally displayed provocative signs and banners challenging Croatia's territorial sovereignty, hoisting flags of foreign countries and institutions), as well as for violating the Law on State Border Control, since he ignored orders by Croatian border police and customs officers. According to a statement by Umag's Magistrate's Court, Joras showed up for the first hearing, and was issued a warning. During the other six hearings, he no longer recognised the court's territorial jurisdiction and Croatia's territorial sovereignty in Mlini, which, he claims, is Slovenia's territory. He thus refused to accept the Umag court's orders and decisions. (hina) lml sb