ZAGREB, April 22 (Hina) - Cases of violation of the Erdut Agreement and the Agreement on the Joint Council of (Serb-dominated) Municipalities in the Croatian Danube River region have become more frequent lately, jeopardising the
rights of the Croatian Serb minority, the president of the Serb National Council (SNV), Milorad Pupovac, told reporters on Thursday. Supporting this claim, the president of the Serb Independent Democratic Party (SSDS) and an MP, Vojislav Stanimirovic, said the police in Darda (eastern Slavonia) last Monday arrested four Serbs without arrest warrants or interrogation summons. The names of the four Serbs were on the "lists of war criminals" from 1991. Those lists were declared no longer valid upon the signing of the Erdut Agreement, and except for 150 Serbs, for whom it was established that they had committed crimes, all other residents of the area should have been grant
ZAGREB, April 22 (Hina) - Cases of violation of the Erdut Agreement
and the Agreement on the Joint Council of (Serb-dominated)
Municipalities in the Croatian Danube River region have become more
frequent lately, jeopardising the rights of the Croatian Serb
minority, the president of the Serb National Council (SNV), Milorad
Pupovac, told reporters on Thursday.
Supporting this claim, the president of the Serb Independent
Democratic Party (SSDS) and an MP, Vojislav Stanimirovic, said the
police in Darda (eastern Slavonia) last Monday arrested four Serbs
without arrest warrants or interrogation summons.
The names of the four Serbs were on the "lists of war criminals" from
1991. Those lists were declared no longer valid upon the signing of
the Erdut Agreement, and except for 150 Serbs, for whom it was
established that they had committed crimes, all other residents of
the area should have been granted amnesty, Stanimirovic said.
Neither Interior Minister Ivan Penic nor the president of the
National Trust Establishment Committee, Vesna Skare Ozbolt, knew
about the arrests. "The question remains open who ordered the
arrests", Stanimirovic said.
Another proof of lack of respect for Serb minority rights is the
recent replacement of Osijek County Deputy Prefect Mirko
Blagojevic, Pupovac said. Blagojevic's replacement was not
regular, since attempts had been made earlier to force him to
resign. Pupovac said such actions induced fear among the Serb
community.
Speaking about the conclusions of today's session of the SNV
Presidency, secretary Jovan Vejnovic announced an extraordinary
SNV session in May, which should adopt a programme of return of
Croatian Serb refugees. The Presidency also agreed to hold a
commemoration in Jasenovac on April 25.
Expressing sympathy for Kosovo refugees, SNV officials reiterated
their condemnation of NATO attacks on Yugoslavia, adding the
attacks jeopardised Yugoslavia's relations with neighbouring
countries, and were slowing down the return of Serb refugees to
Croatia.
(hina) rml