ZAGREB, Aug 29 (Hina) - The Croatian Helsinki Committee for the Protection of Human Rights (HHO) believes the death of Milan Levar, a witness for the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague, was a murder and a serious blow to
the human rights situation and legal safety in Croatia. Zarko Puhovski of the HHO believes both Croatian authorities and the tribunal should have provided better protection for the 'protected' witness Levar. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Puhovski reminds that Levar, who was ready to testify before the international tribunal, was not given protection even after he had received a series of threats, of which the Croatian public was informed. "The message of this execution to all who should testify in The Hague about crimes is very clear and in the next period it will doubtless significantly reduce the chances of the law-based state to start functioning and accountability for the
ZAGREB, Aug 29 (Hina) - The Croatian Helsinki Committee for the
Protection of Human Rights (HHO) believes the death of Milan Levar,
a witness for the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague,
was a murder and a serious blow to the human rights situation and
legal safety in Croatia. Zarko Puhovski of the HHO believes both
Croatian authorities and the tribunal should have provided better
protection for the 'protected' witness Levar.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Puhovski reminds that Levar, who
was ready to testify before the international tribunal, was not
given protection even after he had received a series of threats, of
which the Croatian public was informed.
"The message of this execution to all who should testify in The
Hague about crimes is very clear and in the next period it will
doubtless significantly reduce the chances of the law-based state
to start functioning and accountability for the recent past to be
established," Puhovski said.
He criticised the Croatian authorities for still paying high
amounts to the attorneys who are defending war crimes suspects
while at the same time being unable to protect witnesses.
"One could conclude that promises about the introduction of the
principle of justice regarding the recent war were just
hypocritical phrases," he added.
The Hague war crimes tribunal has failed to fulfil its obligation
toward the 'protected' witness additionally lessening its own
credibility, Puhovski added.
Milan Levar, one of ICTY witnesses, was killed on Monday in an
explosion in the back yard of his family house in Gospic.
An investigation into the case has confirmed so far that Levar was
not killed in the explosion of a steel bottle, as was unofficially
reported by some media, but by an unidentified explosive device,
pieces of which were discovered at the site of the explosion.
(hina) rml