STATE RETURNS PROPERTY TO ZAGREB JEWISH COMMUNITY

ZAGREB, Jan 11 (Hina) - The state has so far returned to the Zagreb Jewish Community the building of the Archrabbi's Office in downtown Zagreb, which is also the headquarters of the Jewish community, community president Ognjen Kraus said on Thursday. He was answering to questions from the press as to what had already been restituted to the community in line with 1996's law on the compensation for property confiscated during ex-Yugoslavia's communist regime. The process of the return of the building began in 1998 and lasted for over a year, given that numerous offices were located in the building. Kraus added that a building which used to be a synagogue, of some 1,000 square metres, also downtown Zagreb, had been restituted as well. The synagogue, destroyed during World War Two, was one of the most valuable synagogues in this part of Europe. The Zagreb Jewish Community is still waiting for decisions on about 30 requests regarding property in north-western Croatia, mostly cemeteries and synagogues. When ask about his further expectations regarding the restitution of property, Kraus said that "a circle of people for whom an additional deadline for submitting requests for the restitution of property will be established is expanding". He said he primarily referred to foreign citizens, mostly Jews. According to him, this could be solved by amendments to the law a draft of which has not yet been in parliament procedure. (hina) it