VUKOVAR, Oct 25 (Hina) - The Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) wants the "lynching" that party vice-president Milos Vojnovic has been exposed to because of his candidacy for a Vukovar County Court judge "to either stop or be
adequately judged", party president Vojislav Stanimirovic said in Vukovar on Friday.
VUKOVAR, Oct 25 (Hina) - The Independent Democratic Serb Party
(SDSS) wants the "lynching" that party vice-president Milos
Vojnovic has been exposed to because of his candidacy for a Vukovar
County Court judge "to either stop or be adequately judged", party
president Vojislav Stanimirovic said in Vukovar on Friday. #L#
Speaking at a press conference, which was called after the
president of the Croatian Judges' Association (HUS), Vladimir
Gredelj, yesterday slammed Vojnovic's candidacy, Stanimirovic
said that Gredelj was engaged "more in petty politicks than
judicial affairs". He added that he did not consider Gredelj's
opinion relevant because Gredelj was chairing "an association
which gathers 150 members, which is only one tenth of Croatian
judges".
Vojnovic did not do anything to deserve what is happening to him,
Stanimirovic said, adding that Vojnovic had been awarded a charter
by late President Franjo Tudjman for his contribution to the
peaceful reintegration of eastern Slavonia.
Speaking about Vojnovic's work in the justice system of the self-
styled rebel Serb government of "SAO Krajina", in which he held the
highest judicial posts, Stanimirovic said that 90% of all cases
tried at civil courts at the time involved Serbs and that two Serbs,
V. Ivcic and D. Boljevic, were sentenced for war crimes. The two men
are still serving their sentences in Srijemska Mitrovica, he said.
SDSS vice-president Vojnovic is one of the two candidates for the
posts of Vukovar County Court judges whose candidacy has been
assessed positively by members of the Vukovar County Court judges'
council.
Vojnovic's candidacy was first opposed by a co-ordinating body of
war veterans' associations from Vukovar County, which reminded in a
statement that Vojnovic had been sentenced by the Osijek County
Court to 12 years in prison for participating in rebellion against
Croatia, but was later amnestied. Vojnovic's candidacy was also
slammed by the Croatian Democratic Union, Croatian True Revival and
Croatian People's Party branches in Vukovar.
Serb People's Council president Milorad Pupovac said today that the
State Judicial Council (DSV) was the only body authorised to decide
about Vojnovic's candidacy and that one should prevent attempts to
influence its final decision.
Speaking at a press conference, Pupovac slammed Gredelj's
statements, calling them "'street talk' disguised in judges'
robes" and the "logic of political suitability".
Pupovac believes that from the legal point of view Vojnovic had been
freed from any responsibility by being amnestied.
Pupovac claimed that while working as a judge in eastern Slavonia at
the time of the "SAO Krajina", Vojnovic had also convicted members
of the Serb community for war crimes against Baranja Croats.
Asked how many of those criminals were in jail, Pupovac said he knew
about two, but added that around 100 robbery, murder and other
convicts had been incarcerated at the Beli Manastir prison at the
time.
Pupovac remarked that Gredelj had failed to protect judges of Serb
nationality and those who had different political views at the time
they were replaced.
He said that until 1994, 475 judges, of whom most were Serbs, had
been sacked, relieved of duty or denied appointment in Croatia.
A year before the DSV was established, in 1996, 60 percent of judges
and state prosecutors had been sacked, and 90% of them were non-
Croats or were politically unsuitable, he said.
Pupovac also said that at the time of peaceful reintegration of
eastern Slavonia 13,000 people, including Vojnovic and other 30
judges, had been amnestied. Only seven work as judges today,
Pupovac said.
(hina) rml sb