AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND ANTI-WAR CAMPAIGN ON CIVILIAN SERVICE

ZAGREB, Jan 12 (Hina) - Non-government organisations Amnesty International of Croatia (AIH) and the Anti-War Campaign of Croatia (ARK) drafted a Bill on Civilian Military Service which will be forwarded into parliamentary procedure following final polishing. The bill regulates the rights and obligations of Croatian citizens who refuse to serve mandatory military service. The basis of the draft is a request for those who refuse to serve military service for reasons of conscious, attorney Juraj Hrzenjak, told reporters Wednesday. The bill also proposes the equalising of the civilian service and military service, and that citizens in civilian service have the same rights as those in military service. In putting up citizens for civilian service, consideration must be taken that they work in their field of profession, Hrzenjak said. Following their serving, these citizens will be deleted from military evidence. The basis for the bill on civilian service was found in item 2 of Article 47 of the Constitution which allows for a complaint on the basis of consciousness from moral and religious reasons, Hrzenjak, who participated in the drafting of the bill, said. The Article stipulates that citizens who have a complaint of consciousness and refuse to serve the military are obliged to serve a civilian service in a way stipulated by law, while the law on civilian service had not been passed at all. The Law on Defence, Hrzenjak said, only partially regulates the civilian service, Hrzenjak said. Amnesty International stressed that in drafting the bill they followed experiences of western countries, but had also cooperated with the Croatian Defence Ministry and Justice Ministry. (hina) lml