ZAGREB, Sept 23 (Hina) - From 1991 to 1999, Croatian courts sentenced 554 persons for war crimes or violations of the law and customs of war. Most of those indictees (90 percent) were tried in absentia, as those suspects were not
available to Croatia's authorities. Thus, it is possible for them to ask the renewal of the process. According to figures released by the State Prosecution's Office, the proclaimed sentences have been between 5 and 20 years' imprisonment. At the moment Croatian courts are dealing with 190 processes against 1820 indictees. Some of these cases are still in the pre-trial stage. Croatia's prisons are currently detaining 62 persons arrested for war crimes, Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic said in Zagreb last Monday. Among the 62 imprisoned war criminals, 34 were given final sentences and are serving prison time, 18 may appeal, while ten are s
ZAGREB, Sept 23 (Hina) - From 1991 to 1999, Croatian courts
sentenced 554 persons for war crimes or violations of the law and
customs of war.
Most of those indictees (90 percent) were tried in absentia, as
those suspects were not available to Croatia's authorities. Thus,
it is possible for them to ask the renewal of the process.
According to figures released by the State Prosecution's Office,
the proclaimed sentences have been between 5 and 20 years'
imprisonment.
At the moment Croatian courts are dealing with 190 processes
against 1820 indictees. Some of these cases are still in the pre-
trial stage.
Croatia's prisons are currently detaining 62 persons arrested for
war crimes, Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic said in Zagreb last
Monday.
Among the 62 imprisoned war criminals, 34 were given final
sentences and are serving prison time, 18 may appeal, while ten are
still undergoing the initial stages of the trial. Some of those who
have not still received final judgements are likely to be released
by the end of this year as the final verdict will not be given within
the legally defined time term, Minister Ivanisevic warned.
Of the 379 sentenced in absentia, 291 were given final and 88 non-
final sentences. Of those 379 indictees, all but two are of the Serb
descent and they have been processed for crimes they committed
against Croats. There were also Croats, members of the then
Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), sentenced for war crimes (against
Croats).
According to the State Prosecution, only one member of the Croatian
forces is now being tried before the Karlovac Court because he
allegedly killed 13 reservists of the JNA near Karlovac in 1991.
The Prosecution has said that no charges have been pressed for war
crimes following the 1995 liberation operations "Flash" and
"Storm". Charges have been preferred against 3978 persons who
allegedly committed other criminal acts in the wake of those
operations, and 811 indictments have been issued as regards this
matter. To date, 1949 verdicts have been delivered, and of them,
1492 have said indictees are found guilty. 27 charges were
preferred for murder, while the rest referred to robbery, theft or
similar criminal acts.
According figures in the White Book released by the Justice
Ministry in September 1999, no charge preferred for murder
committed in the wake of the "Storm" and "Flash" has been rejected;
only one case has been discontinued. Final verdicts have been
delivered for 12 persons sentenced from one to 15 years in prison.
The highest sentence of 20 years' imprisonment has been given in one
case.
From 1991 to 1999 charges were pressed against 4,396 persons for war
crimes or violations of the law and customs of war, and 1349
indictments were issued.
Most of crimes took place where the war operations were conducted:
Osijek, Bjelovar, Sisak, Karlovac, Zadar and Dubrovnik.
Considering the General Amnesty Act, which took effect in October
1996, it has so far been applied for a total of 20,500 persons, the
Justice Ministry reported.
From 1992 to 1995 when a large part of Croatian territory was
occupied by Serb rebels, supported by the JNA forces, 7961 people
were amnestied. Of them, 80 percent was Serbs.
From October 1996 to June 1998, a period of the peaceful
reintegration of the Croatian Danube River Area, 18,314 persons
were amnestied. The amnesty act has been applied for some 13,500
people in the Danube area (eastern Croatia).
During the UN mandate in eastern Croatia (UNTAES), the UN asked
Croatian authorities to give an exact list of persons suspected of
war crimes, justifying this request with the concern of local
population about speculations about war crimes suspects, because
the amnesty act cannot be applied for war criminals. Therefore in
March 1997, Zagreb forwarded to the UNTAES a list of 150 persons in
the Croatian Danube River Area accused of war crimes. By the end of
September that year, the list was cut to 25 persons sentenced for
war crimes.
After the completion of the peaceful reintegration, namely from
November 1998 to the end of last year, the General Amnesty Act was
applied for 2,123 persons. The number of amnestied people has been
small this year as against the past period.
(hina) ms