CROATIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE ISSUES STATEMENT ON SAKIC TRIAL

ZAGREB, March 5 (Hina) - The Croatian Helsinki Committee (HHO) for human rights on Friday issued a statement commenting on the case against Dinko Sakic, a former commander of the Jasenovac concentration camp in Croatia during WWII. Sakic has been indicted for war crimes against humanity and is awaiting trial at the Zagreb County Court. The HHO said an independent and unbiased trial, modelled to trial held in France, Germany and Italy, was important for the reputation and international affirmation of the Republic of Croatia. "These proceedings are a test to see whether Croatia will remain imprisoned by the failed Naci-fascist, Ustashi past, or will it become an active participant in modern Europe, built and developed on values of anti-fascism, as is, after all, underlined in the Croatian Constitution," the statement said. "An atmosphere must be created in which the truth will be presented in whole, especially because in our society there are increasing occurrences of expressions of hatred, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and racism, including in some religious communities," the HHO stressed. The Committee asked that "occurrences of neo-fascism and the pro- Ustashi movement be categorically disabled by passing certain laws and regulations, such as had been done in post-war Germany and other European countries," the statement said. (hina) lml mm