COFFMANN; ARREST WARRANTS ISSUED FOR FIVE CROATS FROM MOSTAR

SARAJEVO, March 7 (Hina) - Spokesman of the United Nations in Bosnia-Herzegovina Douglas Coffmann on Tuesday confirmed that arrest warrants have been issued for five Croats from the southern Bosnia-Herzegovina town of Mostar, including president of the Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) town committee Zeljko Djidic Djida. The spokesman, however, was not able to confirm whether the arrests really took place, and said that such media claims were premature. Sarajevo's daily "Dnevni Avaz" on Tuesday published that Ivan Skutor, Erhad Poznic, Mate Anicic and Zoran Soldo were also in the pre-trial detention of the Mostar County Court since Monday. According to the same source, the indictment, filed by the County Prosecutor's Office on January 11, reads that the five former members of the Croatian Council of Defence (HVO) were guilty of war crimes against civilians and war prisoners. They are suspected of the participation in tortures and killings of imprisoned Bosniaks. The five persons are also suspected of the implementation of the ethnic cleansing policy in Bosnia- Herzegovina in 1993. According to "Dnevni Avaz", Djidic is also suspected of crimes committed against civilians of Serb nationality in 1992. (hina) it jn