GOSPIC LASH OUT AT REPORTERS GOSPIC, Sept 14 (Hina) - A peaceful protest in the central Croatian town of Gospic staged on Thursday to express support by residents to five arrested Gospic residents suspected of war crimes, almost
turned into a protest against reporters. The gathered residents threw insults at reporters, with Joso Mraovic, also known as "Lika's Tudjman", being the loudest. He verbally and physically assaulted a reporter of the Vecernji list daily on Wednesday. Pointing his finger at reporters, he shouted "along with the damned Levar, this handful of bandits are also traitors". He used abusive language on a reporter of the Nacional weekly, who was not even present, and told reporters of the Vecernji list and Jutarnji list dailies "You will not enter Gospic again, nor come out of it alive". The five Gospic residents were apprehended Tuesday under suspicion of having committed war crimes against civilians in the town in 1991. Among the five
GOSPIC, Sept 14 (Hina) - A peaceful protest in the central Croatian
town of Gospic staged on Thursday to express support by residents to
five arrested Gospic residents suspected of war crimes, almost
turned into a protest against reporters.
The gathered residents threw insults at reporters, with Joso
Mraovic, also known as "Lika's Tudjman", being the loudest. He
verbally and physically assaulted a reporter of the Vecernji list
daily on Wednesday.
Pointing his finger at reporters, he shouted "along with the damned
Levar, this handful of bandits are also traitors".
He used abusive language on a reporter of the Nacional weekly, who
was not even present, and told reporters of the Vecernji list and
Jutarnji list dailies "You will not enter Gospic again, nor come out
of it alive".
The five Gospic residents were apprehended Tuesday under suspicion
of having committed war crimes against civilians in the town in
1991.
Among the five is a Croatian Armed Forces general, Tihomir
Oreskovic, who was openly accused by a witness for the Hague-based
international war crimes tribunal, Milan Levar.
Levar was killed in a bombing in Gospic near the end of last month.
Police who supervised the rally, also protected the reporters
covering the protest, but there had been no need for intervention.
The protesters ended the rally after the president of the Gospic
branch of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Darko Milinovic,
reminded them this was a peaceful rally.
Gospic Mayor Milan Kolic told reporters he could not control the
reactions of citizens, and expressed support for the rally.
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