MEMBER OF JEWISH ORGANISATION TO ATTEND SAKIC TRIAL IN MARCH

ZAGREB, Feb 17 (Hina) - The B'nai B'rith Jewish organisation's leadership in Washington on Wednesday reiterated their satisfaction with the fact that one of their representatives will attend a trial against Dinko Sakic at the invitation of the Croatian President. The trial against the former commander of a Croatian World War Two concentration camp for war crimes against civilians, will begin at the Zagreb County Court in March 1999. We are very satisfied with the fact that Tommy Bear will represent us at the trial starting March 4, the International B'nai B'rith President, Richard Heideman, said. He added the invitation was significant not only as the confirmation of the court's openness and independence, but also of the permanent interest the B'nai B'rith and Jewish communities across the world have in bringing to justice the remaining war criminals from the time of the Holocaust. Up to August 1998, Tommy Bear was the president of B'nai B'rith, the largest Jewish organisation in the world, and has since 1995 been active towards having Sakic extradited from Argentina to Croatia. The B'nai B'rith statement said that as a young man Sakic was the commander of the Jasenovac concentration camp in which dozens of thousands of people, including 25,000 Jews, were killed during WWII by the Nazis and their Croatian collaborationists. (hina) it jn/ha