BAR ASSOCIATION ASKS LUCIN, IVANISEVIC TO IDENTIFY PERSONS WHO ATTACKED ATTORNEY JAKSIC SOON

ZAGREB, Jan 5 (Hina) - The Croatian Bar Association (HOK) on Friday sent letters to the interior and justice ministers requesting that the perpetrators of a recent assassination attempt against Dubrovnik attorney Srdjo Jaksic be discovered urgently. The letters, addressed to Interior Minister Sime Lucin and Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic, read that on December 30, unidentified perpetrators tried to kill Jaksic from firearms, hitting him with several shots. Jaksic is the president of the Dubrovnik Bar Association. HOK warns that this is not the first attack on attorneys in Croatia and recalls that Jaksic and his wife had received phone threats on several occasions as well as that the tyres on Jaksic's car had been slashed on several occasions in 1994. The then interior and justice ministers were informed about it but the perpetrators were not discovered, the association says. HOK president Ranko Pelicaric says it is doubtless that Jaksic's health and work abilities will be permanently decreased due to his severe injuries. HOK has sent letters to the vice-president of the Dubrovnik County Court and the Dubrovnik police superintendent as well. At a session held today, HOK appointed Dubrovnik attorney Stanka Matic an observer in this case. (hina) rml