HVO WAR VETERANS ORGANISE PETITION AGAINST EXTRADITION OF TUTA

MOSTAR, Feb 16 (Hina) - The head of the association of Bosnia- Herzegovina's Croat Defence Council (HVO) war veterans, Mijo Grabovac Titan, on Wednesday said that from 12 to 15 February this association had organised the signing of a petition against the extradition of Mladen Naletilic Tuta from Croatia to the Hague- based War Crimes Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The signing was conducted throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina and, according to Grabovac, they collected 53,958 signatures. Grabovac said the petition would be forwarded to authorities of Croatia and the Justice Ministry as Naletilic, wanted by the Hague Tribunal for crimes he allegedly committed during the Croat-Moslem conflict in the Mostar area, is currently treated at the Zagreb prison hospital. "We have collected 53,958 signatures and it clearly reflects Bosnia-Herzegovina's Croats' attitude on the Hague Tribunal's stands and its conduct toward Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina," Grabovac said. "The association wants to support its honorary president for life with the petition as well as to make it clear for Croatia's Government and Justice Ministry that we regard the transfer of Croats in The Hague in any case as gross injustice," read a statement issued by the HVO war veterans' association. It (extradition) should be stopped, particularly in the case of Mladen Naletilic, as the transfer will put his life in jeopardy. We would regard the Croatian Government and Justice Minister as being directly liable for such a thing, the statement said. Commenting on announcements of Croatia's President-elect Stipe Mesic that Zagreb will discontinue financing HVO, Grabovac said such statement "are not normal". (hina) mm ms