ZAGREB, May 4 (Hina) - The new evidence against Nada Sakic is interesting and calls for court investigation, Croatian Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic said on Tuesday. "It is up to the State Attorney's Office to decide whether it
will re-open the criminal proceedings based on the new evidence against Nada Sakic, received from Israel's Simon Wiesenthal Centre", Separovic said during his visit to the Zagreb County Court today. The State Attorney's Office had abandoned the criminal prosecution of Nada Sakic early in February due to insufficient evidence against her. Sakic had been suspected of war crimes against civilians, committed while she was working in a Croatian concentration camp during World War II. Simon Wiesenthal Centre director Ephraim Zuroff handed the new evidence against Sakic to the State Attorney on March 10. The evidence consisted of testimonies by witnesses from Yugosl
ZAGREB, May 4 (Hina) - The new evidence against Nada Sakic is
interesting and calls for court investigation, Croatian Justice
Minister Zvonimir Separovic said on Tuesday.
"It is up to the State Attorney's Office to decide whether it will
re-open the criminal proceedings based on the new evidence against
Nada Sakic, received from Israel's Simon Wiesenthal Centre",
Separovic said during his visit to the Zagreb County Court today.
The State Attorney's Office had abandoned the criminal prosecution
of Nada Sakic early in February due to insufficient evidence
against her. Sakic had been suspected of war crimes against
civilians, committed while she was working in a Croatian
concentration camp during World War II.
Simon Wiesenthal Centre director Ephraim Zuroff handed the new
evidence against Sakic to the State Attorney on March 10. The
evidence consisted of testimonies by witnesses from Yugoslavia and
the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska.
State Attorney Radovan Santek then said that if the testimonies
proved authentic and implicated Nada Sakic, it would be sufficient
for re-opening the case.
Separovic today said he believed Santek should have forwarded the
case to the County Court, which would then decide whether the
charges in Sakic's extradition request were founded or not, and
then reach a verdict on the case.
"When acts are so serious that they involve an international
element through the extradition procedure, it is very important
that the court makes a decision on possible guilt, and not the state
attorney or someone outside the court", Separovic said adding a
court decision was more important.
Asked whether this was an announcement on re-opening the
investigation against Nada Sakic, Separovic said he was not
authorised to announce it, and it was for judicial bodies to make an
independent decision on the matter. Separovic said he had
acquainted himself with the new evidence, which, he added, was
interesting and called for court investigation.
Separovic also acquainted himself with the course of the trial
against Dinko Sakic. During a meeting with the president of the
Trial Chamber, Drazen Tripalo, who is conducting the Sakic case,
Separovic was informed that all requirements for a fair and legal
trial had been met.
"This is currently the most important trial in which the Croatian
judiciary must not make a single mistake", Separovic said adding
the Justice Ministry and the court attached special importance to
the safety of witnesses, especially those from outside of Croatia.
"This trial will help establish not only the defendant's possible
guilt, but also the facts and events from times which are very
difficult and sensitive for Croatia", Separovic believes.
After a tour round the court rooms and discussions with the Court
President Miroslav Sumanovic, Separovic expressed satisfaction
with the "adequate" organisation of the court.
The most serious problem in the Croatian judiciary is a lack of
necessary speed in solving court cases, which has resulted in first
appeals by Croatian citizens to the European Court for Human
Rights, he said.
"The situation in the Croatian judiciary is not that bad as it is
believed, because Croatia has the rule of law and a civil society",
the Justice Minister said, stressing the need for permanent
improvement of judicial bodies.
(hina) jn rml