ZAGREB, June 1 (Hina) - The Sabor's House of Representatives on Thursday morning started a debate on a bill on changes to the Penal Law, proposed by the Government. The Government suggests the cancellation of a regulation on the
official initiating of criminal proceedings in the event of defamation of character of Croatia's five highest state officials, as well as increased protection from domestic violence. The bill envisages sentences ranging from one to ten years in prison for the production and sale of narcotics as well as sentences of up to 40 years in prison for persons who team up with the aim of committing such acts. According to the bill, possession of drugs would be considered an offence and not a criminal act, as is the case at present. This last change attracted most attention of MPs. A government representative said the change does not suggest the legalisation of drugs, including the softest one (canna
ZAGREB, June 1 (Hina) - The Sabor's House of Representatives on
Thursday morning started a debate on a bill on changes to the Penal
Law, proposed by the Government.
The Government suggests the cancellation of a regulation on the
official initiating of criminal proceedings in the event of
defamation of character of Croatia's five highest state officials,
as well as increased protection from domestic violence.
The bill envisages sentences ranging from one to ten years in prison
for the production and sale of narcotics as well as sentences of up
to 40 years in prison for persons who team up with the aim of
committing such acts.
According to the bill, possession of drugs would be considered an
offence and not a criminal act, as is the case at present. This last
change attracted most attention of MPs.
A government representative said the change does not suggest the
legalisation of drugs, including the softest one (cannabis).
Illegal possession of drugs remains a criminal act, but smoking pot
would remain within the scope of offence, as had been regulated by
the law until 1996.
The changes to the Penal Law, as proposed in the first reading by the
Government, were supported, apart from the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) bench, only by the Democratic Centre (DC) bench, which
believes the changes will strengthen the law-based state and
contribute to the legal safety of citizens.
The Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) will wait for the
Government to submit data which are missing until the second
reading.
Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), Croatian People's
Party/Liberal Party (HNS/LS) benches did not voice their opinion on
the changes, whereas the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) opposed the
changes.
The benches of smaller parties, such as the Primorje-Gorski Kotar
Alliance (PGS) and the Croatian Slavonija-Baranja Party (SBHS)
questioned this more liberal attitude toward drugs, whereas the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) bench opposed the change.
HDZ's Jadranka Kosor urged a referendum regarding the regulation on
decriminalising drug possession, with the aim of enabling
citizens, primarily parents, to voice their opinion on the matter.
Deputy Justice Minister Ranko Marijan explained that the
Government suggested those changes because the police and courts
were swamped with minor drug abuse cases, whereas prisons were
being filled with drug addicts instead of by drug dealers.
On the other side, major criminals, drug dealers and organisers of
the drug dealing network remained at large and unpunished, Marijan
said.
A former interior minister, Ivan Penic, however, believes the
change "will hamper the work of the police, as it will be very
difficult to establish whether small quantities of drugs are
intended for one's own consumption or for dealing."
Of HDZ deputies, Zlatko Canjuga voiced strongest opposition to the
regulation on decriminalising drug possession, explaining that as
an HDZ deputy he did not want to contribute to "making young people
feel hip because they smoke pot." The issue of drugs goes to the
heart of national security and Croatian interests, Canjuga said.
Zeljko Malevic of the SDP believes that the question of national
security is the identity of drug lords and wondered how it is
possible that not one drug lord has been arrested so far.
During a debate on domestic violence, Milanka Opacic of the SDP
warned that domestic sexual abuse of children was on the increase
and proposed that the minimum sentence for perpetrators be 15 years
and not 1-10 years in prison, as is proposed by the bill.
Opacic also suggested that child molesters be separated from their
families instead of separating the victims of abuse from their
families, as was the case at present.
(hina) jn rml