OSIJEK OSIJEK, June 20 (Hina) - Members of the Osijek-based Organisation for Civil Initiatives (OGI) today visited Croatian Serbs accused of war crimes who are imprisoned in the Osijek penitentiary. The Serbs have been refusing prison
food for two weeks. OGI director Aleksandra Milosavljevic told Hina the main court hearings were scheduled for June 25 and 26 and July 2 and 3. The prisoners are mostly complaining about lengthy proceedings, but have no complaints about the way they are being treated. The prisoners are buying fruit and vitamins in the prison canteen, and a thorough medical check-up established their health was satisfactory. "They all assert that the indictments are not founded on concrete evidence to show their individual guilt," and do not want "to be tried as a group as this prolongs the proceedings, but on an individual basis," she said. They believe "they will be held liable instead of those who really did commit wa
OSIJEK, June 20 (Hina) - Members of the Osijek-based Organisation
for Civil Initiatives (OGI) today visited Croatian Serbs accused of
war crimes who are imprisoned in the Osijek penitentiary. The Serbs
have been refusing prison food for two weeks.
OGI director Aleksandra Milosavljevic told Hina the main court
hearings were scheduled for June 25 and 26 and July 2 and 3. The
prisoners are mostly complaining about lengthy proceedings, but
have no complaints about the way they are being treated.
The prisoners are buying fruit and vitamins in the prison canteen,
and a thorough medical check-up established their health was
satisfactory.
"They all assert that the indictments are not founded on concrete
evidence to show their individual guilt," and do not want "to be
tried as a group as this prolongs the proceedings, but on an
individual basis," she said.
They believe "they will be held liable instead of those who really
did commit war crimes and who left Croatia because of it,"
Milosavljevic stressed, adding that the prisoners said they
remained in Croatia because they were not guilty.
The Serbs are requesting for an independent commission to be
established, made up from home and international experts, "which
would objectively review the grounds of the indictments," and
inform the public and non-government organisations about their
situation.
The detainees are determined in not taking any prison food, they are
complaining about the beginning of health difficulties, loss of
weight, noise in their ears, heart palpitations and swollen legs,
Milosavljevic said.
(hina) lml