ZAGREB, Jan 10 (Hina) - The Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (HHO) has warned the public and the competent judiciary (in The Hague) about the lack of credibility of data provided by the Belgrade-based information and
documentation centre 'Veritas', whose information regarding the case of a Croatian general, Petar Stipetic, have recently been published by some Croatian media as well. "HHO believes it is its duty to warn the public and the competent court about the lack of credibility of Veritas' data and, in particular, about the consequences which may originate from the issuing of an indictment which would be partially based on them," HHO executive director Tin Gazivoda said in a statement. Commenting on the case of general Stipetic, some media have stated that the investigators of the International Criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) are holding Stipeti
ZAGREB, Jan 10 (Hina) - The Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human
Rights (HHO) has warned the public and the competent judiciary (in
The Hague) about the lack of credibility of data provided by the
Belgrade-based information and documentation centre 'Veritas',
whose information regarding the case of a Croatian general, Petar
Stipetic, have recently been published by some Croatian media as
well.
"HHO believes it is its duty to warn the public and the competent
court about the lack of credibility of Veritas' data and, in
particular, about the consequences which may originate from the
issuing of an indictment which would be partially based on them,"
HHO executive director Tin Gazivoda said in a statement.
Commenting on the case of general Stipetic, some media have stated
that the investigators of the International Criminal tribunal for
the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) are holding Stipetic responsible for
the fate of 36 persons who were killed or went missing in the Medak
Pocket area, accompanying their reports with the Veritas data.
HHO says those data have always proved false following subsequent
inquiries.
HHO adds the number of Serb victims in the so-called Krajina as
presented in one of Veritas brochures was two and a half times
higher than was established by HHO activists on the ground. HHO
warns that Veritas, similarly as in previous years, has been
declaring Krajina paramilitaries civilian victims, and living
people dead.
In the brochure, entitled "Serb Krajina, August 1995 - Exodus:
Victims of the Aggression of the Croatian Army on the Republic of
Srpska Krajina", Veritas gives the names of 1,548 victims, which
HHO claims is incorrect because its activists have established that
the number of victims is twice lower.
HHO deputy director Omer Rak told Hina today HHO activists had
established 677 victims.
Four years ago, on one of its lists, Veritas presented members of
the 'Krajina' army as civilian victims. A subsequent investigation
in the field proved than as much as a half of those 'victims' were
alive.
HHO also recalls that it has been accused by Veritas of
intentionally reducing the number of victims in its report on
operation 'Storm' and events in the former UN Sector North.
(hina) rml