INTERIOR MINISTRY COMMENTS ON THREATENING NOTE RECEIVED BY HHO OFFICIAL

ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - The Croatian Ministry of Interior on Thursday issued a statement on a letter sent yesterday to Interior Minister Ivan Penic by the Croatian Helsinki Committee (HHO), which informed Penic of a threatening letter received by HHO president Vjekoslav Vidovic. The HHO claims the letter had been sent by several members of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) and requested that Penic order an investigation into the case. The Ministry's statement said Penic had received the HHO letter and forwarded it to the crime police sector, which established that there was no basis for initiating an investigation and recommended to the HHO to address a competent state attorney's office so that it could initiate possible proceedings from within its jurisdiction. The HHO yesterday issued a statement saying HHO president Vjekoslav Vidovic had received a threatening letter in which he is told to "remember Varazdin and the Varazdin area" and his "war and post-war partisan-communist youth". At the end of the letter Vidovic is advised to be careful and not to make problems. The letter identifies eight HSP members as its authors. The HHO said the letter confirmed their previous statement that the HSP was instigating violence. The threatening note was written on a type-writer with type-written names of the eight HSP members. The letter does not contain their hand-written signatures nor does it bear the name of the sender or the HSP party seal. (hina) rml