ZAGREB, Nov 28 (Hina) - Responding to harsh criticism to changes proposed to the Penal Code, the Croatian justice minister said in parliament on Thursday the existing Code, by reducing sentences, had "blunted the blade" of the
judiciary and now looked like a law on misdemeanours. It caused the breakdown of criminal repression and undermined the reputation of the justice system, she said.
ZAGREB, Nov 28 (Hina) - Responding to harsh criticism to changes
proposed to the Penal Code, the Croatian justice minister said in
parliament on Thursday the existing Code, by reducing sentences,
had "blunted the blade" of the judiciary and now looked like a law on
misdemeanours. It caused the breakdown of criminal repression and
undermined the reputation of the justice system, she said. #L#
Minister Ingrid Anticevic-Marinovic said that statutes of
limitations were enforced and court proceedings discontinued
thanks to the Penal Code passed in 1998, which she said had not been
accidental.
The government-sponsored bill of changes to the Penal Code in
today's debate met with vehement criticism, especially from the HDZ
(Croatian Democratic Union) and the Social Liberals (HSLS).
HDZ party whip Vladimir Seks said there were no grounds to change
the Penal Code. Increasing the harshness of prison sentences and
extending statutes of limitations will not lead to a general
prevention of crime but place Croatia at the top of Europe's list in
terms of punishment severity, he said.
Commenting on the proposal to make the extolling of fascist symbols
and states a crime, Drazen Budisa of the HSLS inquired ironically,
"Where shall we put the thousands of little Ustasha?"
All parliamentary benches commented on this proposal.
Damir Kajin of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) said the
ideologists of fascism and those who bring into the country and
distribute fascist insignia should be punished. He asked, however,
"What about kids who adorn themselves with it at concerts but have
not been taught in the past ten years what fascism and the Ustasha
ideology are?"
Kajin also objected to a proposal moved by the HDZ, HSLS, Croatian
Party of Rights (HSP) and Croatian Bloc (HB) that the extolling of
communism should also be punished.
Budisa said the Penal Code should contain the syntagm "totalitarian
genocide", stating it would cover both ideologies.
Miroslav Rozic of the HSP/HKDU bench objected to having communism
compared to the Ustasha movement, which he described as a national
revolutionary movement borne out of the Croats' desperation caused
by Greater Serbia totalitarianism. He branded the communist party a
"criminal organisation".
Benches of the ruling coalition parties objected to having the
Penal Code equate punishment for the extolling of fascist and
communist symbols.
Libra's Mladen Godek said that would cause great damage as not one
country has introduced punishment for communist symbols.
All opposition benches opposed the government's proposal for the
decriminalisation of possession of small quantities of illegal
drugs. They said this would facilitate the dealers' job. The ruling
coalition benches, with the exception of the Croatian Peasants'
Party, claimed the opposite, saying decriminalisation would make
it possible to effectively prosecute "drug lords".
All parliamentary benches objected to a provision proposing making
the exposure of the head of state to ridicule a crime.
(hina) ha sb