ZAGREB, Mar 8 (Hina) - The director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's office in Israel, Efraim Zuroff, on Monday submitted to Croatian Justice Minister Milan Ramljak the statements of five new witnesses against war crimes suspect Nada
Sakic, to the effect of Croatia's reopening the case against her. Sakic was extradited from Argentina last year at Croatia's request due to suspicion that she had committed war crimes while working at a Croatian concentration camp during World War Two. The suspect was released from detention earlier this year due to insufficient evidence against her. "The Ministry of Justice will forward the documents to the state attorney, who will then act according to law," Ramljak told a joint press conference in Zagreb after talks with Zuroff. Zuroff said two of the documents were integral statements of witnesses he had personally interviewed, while the other three had been obtained second-hand.
ZAGREB, Mar 8 (Hina) - The director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's
office in Israel, Efraim Zuroff, on Monday submitted to Croatian
Justice Minister Milan Ramljak the statements of five new witnesses
against war crimes suspect Nada Sakic, to the effect of Croatia's
reopening the case against her.
Sakic was extradited from Argentina last year at Croatia's request
due to suspicion that she had committed war crimes while working at
a Croatian concentration camp during World War Two. The suspect was
released from detention earlier this year due to insufficient
evidence against her.
"The Ministry of Justice will forward the documents to the state
attorney, who will then act according to law," Ramljak told a joint
press conference in Zagreb after talks with Zuroff.
Zuroff said two of the documents were integral statements of
witnesses he had personally interviewed, while the other three had
been obtained second-hand.
Zuroff said he hoped the new evidence would urge Croatia's state
attorney to reopen the Nada Sakic case.
According to Minister Ramljak, "if the panel of judges evaluates
that the new evidence carries sufficient weight to cast strong
suspicion that someone has committed what they are accused of, then
the panel of judges may decide to reopen the case."
Ramljak did not wish to speculate when a possible decision on
reopening the Nada Sakic case might be reached.
Commenting on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's request for Nada
Sakic extradition, Ramljak said Croatia's legislation stipulates
that Croatian citizens cannot be extradited, which meant that Sakic
can be tried only in Croatia.
Zuroff said that, contrary to some statements, neither Nada Sakic,
nor her husband Dinko Sakic, also accused of war crimes committed
during WW2 Croatia, were being tried in Belgrade.
Both officials said their talks also tackled the Dinko Sakic case,
whose trial in Zagreb has been postponed for March 15 due to the
defendant's poor health.
We are very interested in the trial to resume, said Zuroff.
Asked to comment to international Jewish organisation B'nai
B'rith' demand to have Dinko Sakic examined by an international
team of doctors, Zuroff said that would be necessary only if the
trial was discontinued.
"We believe that nothing has happened to arouse suspicion of
Croatia's judiciary," said Minister Ramljak, adding Croatia cannot
allow for "Sakic to be healthy in hospital, nor to have him sit ill
in the defendant's chair."
Zuroff also expressed the idea to have a law passed in Croatia under
which all use of Ustasha symbols would be criminally persecuted. He
said the idea came in the wake of a mass friar Vjekoslav Lasic
recently held for Ante Pavelic, the head of the Independent State of
Croatia (1941-1945).
Zuroff said there had been no need for such a law to date as similar
occurrences were sporadic and not socially threatening.
He added the Jewish Municipality Zagreb motioned the passing of
such a law.
(hina) ha