ANTI-FASCIST VETERANS AGAINST PARDON FOR WAR CRIMES

ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - President of the Croatian Anti-Fascist Veteran Union, Ivan Fumic, said Monday the claim that countries of the anti-fascist coalition amnestied their army members from prosecution for war crimes is a "notorious lie". "This is a notorious lie because such a law was not adopted by any country member of the anti-fascist coalition," Fumic told Hina following requests by the chief centre for the protection of the dignity of the Croatian Homeland War that all Croatian Homeland War soldiers be freed from war crimes prosecution. The petition through which the centre wishes to secure a referendum on such a law, is aimed against the constitutional order, Fumic asserted. "This petition is aimed against Croatia's constitutional order because there is no country which would pass a law on amnesty for war crimes," Fumic said, adding there was no statute of limitations for war crimes. He confirmed Yugoslav several thousand Yugoslav anti-fascists also stood trial for crimes after World War II. Fumic expressed support for an inquiry into events which led to the Bleiburg case. At the end of World War II, about half a million Croatian soldiers, their families and numerous civilians decided to surrender to the English Allies in Austria, fearing retaliation by the then Yugoslav army. However, the Allies handed them over to the partisans in May 1945 and many of them were killed in the Bleiburg field over only two days. (hina) lml sb