DEFENCE FORCES' ALLIANCE WON'T GIVE STATE ATTORNEY RECORDINGS OF SPEECHES FROM VUKOVAR RALLY

ZAGREB, June 6 (Hina) - The Federation of Croatian Defence Forces Associations (SUDHOS) is appalled at the request of Vukovar County Deputy State Attorney Bozidar Piljic that the SUDHOS submit the recordings of speeches and the list of those who addressed a protest meeting the SUDHOS organised in Vukovar on May 30, SUDHOS president Velimir Kvesic told reporters on Tuesday. Kvesic said the SUDHOS would not send the requested material to the Vukovar County State Attorney's Office because it believed the request was aimed at rigging court proceedings against the association in a communist manner. According to Kvesic, the request reinstates indictable expression of opinion and is an attack on the Homeland War and its achievements. The 30 May rally gathered some 2,000 members of war volunteers' and victims' associations from the entire Croatia. The rally adopted a declaration seeking general amnesty for all Croatian soldiers and the annulment of laws which the SUDHOS considers contrary to the results of the Homeland War. The protesters requested the implementation of a law regulating the rights of Croatian soldiers and the punishment of those who committed crimes against Croats. They also requested that the authorities protect Croatia's national interests before the Hague war crimes tribunal and that the media stop calling expressions of patriotism extremism. (hina) mm rml