OSIJEK FLAT OSIJEK, Sept 4 (Hina) - The Croatian Returnees' Association on Monday thwarted an attempt of local authorities to evict a Croatian Homeland War veteran, currently serviceman, from a flat in the eastern Croatian city of
Osijek. Ivan Gotovac and his family have been living in the flat since 1993 when they got a paper allowing them to be temporarily accommodated in it. The association asked that a court ruling on the eviction of the Gotovac family from the flat owned by Andja Cvjetic be enforced only after the house of Ivan Gotovac is reconstructed. Gotovac's house, situated in Tenja, outside Osijek, was destroyed during the Homeland War. The owner of the flat, Andja Cvjetic, who is temporarily living in the town of Jajce, Bosnia-Herzegovina, instigated court procedures for the restitution of the property six years ago. At the end of this August, the competent court issued a decree on the eviction of the Go
OSIJEK, Sept 4 (Hina) - The Croatian Returnees' Association on
Monday thwarted an attempt of local authorities to evict a Croatian
Homeland War veteran, currently serviceman, from a flat in the
eastern Croatian city of Osijek. Ivan Gotovac and his family have
been living in the flat since 1993 when they got a paper allowing
them to be temporarily accommodated in it.
The association asked that a court ruling on the eviction of the
Gotovac family from the flat owned by Andja Cvjetic be enforced only
after the house of Ivan Gotovac is reconstructed. Gotovac's house,
situated in Tenja, outside Osijek, was destroyed during the
Homeland War.
The owner of the flat, Andja Cvjetic, who is temporarily living in
the town of Jajce, Bosnia-Herzegovina, instigated court procedures
for the restitution of the property six years ago. At the end of this
August, the competent court issued a decree on the eviction of the
Gotovacs and the return of the flat to its owner.
The returnees' association head, Josip Kompanovic told the Osijek
municipal court representatives and policemen, present at today's
attempt of eviction, that the returnees would use physical force to
prevent the eviction, if necessary. Therefore, the eviction was
postponed for some 15 days.
Kompanovic said the association did not deny the owner's right but
they insisted on the law-based state's equal treatment of everybody
and asked for moves which will enable displaced people, who have
been awaiting the return to their homes for 10 years, to come back to
their pre-war places of fixed abode.
He added the association will contact competent state authorities
in order to solve this and similar cases and it will not hinder cases
of eviction when the displaced persons and refugees have houses
reconstructed or the issue of the accommodation settled.
During an emotionally-charged discussion with the owner, Ivan
Gotovac said he did not contest the court ruling, but he requested
that the accommodation of his family may be solved until the
completion of the reconstruction of his house. In this context he
said that he had asked for alternative accommodation two years ago,
but then such possibility was ruled out.
(hina) jn ms