OHR IN MOSTAR ACCUSES BOSNIAK REFUGEES OF VIOLATING LAW

MOSTAR, Dec 6 (Hina) - Head of Mostar's Office of the High Representative (OHR) Finn Lynghjem on Wednesday slammed the Association of Displaced Bosniaks (Moslems) of Mostar for instigating citizens to violate the rule of law through their actions, which, according to him, is hazardous for all refugees and displaced persons who wish to return to their pre-war homes. Lynghjem told a news conference the Bosniak association had recently slung mud at an official of the Housing Issues Office in Mostar's municipality (with a Bosniak majority) of Stari Grad who, he claims, was doing his job in line with the law. Lynghjem called on city authorities and those of the Herzegovina- Neretva Canton to protect the work of the Housing Issues Office which has been, he said, subject to threats by the Bosniak association of displaced residents of Mostar. Lynghjem called on police to arrest two Mostar Croats suspected of having committed war crimes against Bosniaks, currently under trial in absentia before the canton court in Mostar. According to his knowledge, these two Croats are freely walking around Mostar and drinking coffee with police. Lynghjem holds politicians are using their influence to keep the two from being arrested. Describing the west Herzegovina canton police, Lynghjem said they were the most brutal in the entire Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina. Lynghjem explained such assessments agreed with the criticism by the UN Mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The west Herzegovina canton continues to breach the OHR decision on the usage of neutral insignia in public institutions, he asserted. (hina) lml