ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - The Jerusalem-based Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director Efraim Zuroff on Tuesday held talks with Croatian Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic on instigating legal proceedings against Nada Sakic and Mirko
Eterovic, who live now in Croatia and who are suspected of having committed war crimes during Second World War. Zuroff, who on Monday attended the announcement of the verdict, in Zagreb County Court, for Dinko Sakic, a former commander of the Jasenovac concentration camp, applauded the work of Croatia's judiciary. Minister Separovic and I discussed Nazi crimes suspects who are currently living in Croatia, Zuroff told reporters after his meeting with the Croatian minister. This refers to two Croats - Nada Sakic, Dinko Sakic's wife against whom no indictment for war crimes against civilian populations has been issued by the Croatian judiciary as no sufficient
ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - The Jerusalem-based Simon Wiesenthal
Centre's Director Efraim Zuroff on Tuesday held talks with Croatian
Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic on instigating legal
proceedings against Nada Sakic and Mirko Eterovic, who live now in
Croatia and who are suspected of having committed war crimes during
Second World War.
Zuroff, who on Monday attended the announcement of the verdict, in
Zagreb County Court, for Dinko Sakic, a former commander of the
Jasenovac concentration camp, applauded the work of Croatia's
judiciary.
Minister Separovic and I discussed Nazi crimes suspects who are
currently living in Croatia, Zuroff told reporters after his
meeting with the Croatian minister.
This refers to two Croats - Nada Sakic, Dinko Sakic's wife against
whom no indictment for war crimes against civilian populations has
been issued by the Croatian judiciary as no sufficient evidence has
been found during an investigation, and Mirko Eterovic, a retired
university professor.
Last July Zuroff called on the Croatian Government to initiate an
investigation against Eterovic, who arrived in Zagreb at the
beginning of July after Argentinean authorities extradited him on
suspicion that he had run two concentration camps in Croatia.
These cases are in the court, before a state attorney and I would not
speak of it as it is up to them (legal experts) to decide on the
procedure, Separovic told reporters.
He added that during today's meeting Zuroff handed over some
evidence material in connection with the Eterovic case.
Zuroff said the Croatian minister and he had discussed some
Croatian laws that sanction appearances of anti-Semitism.
The two also discussed new testimonies on how Jews had been saved in
Croatia during WW II.
The Yad Vashem memorial centre will receive testimonies on how
residents of Vela Luka on the Croatian Adriatic island of Korcula
offered asylum to Jews coming from Belgrade, Sarajevo, Zagreb.
Zuroff, however, expressed some reservations about the
consideration of the case of the blessed Roman Catholic Cardinal,
Alojzije Stepinac.
Separovic said survived Carmelite nuns could testify that the late
Cardinal Stepinac had helped to save Jews.
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director added that the Cardinal
Stepinac case was more complex and had to be considered in a far
broader context. He recalled that Yad Vashem had deliberated a few
times about the Stepinac case, but the request (for proclaiming him
Righteous Among the Nations) has been refused each time.
A particular committee of distinguished persons, set up by Yad
Vashem, deliberates separately about each proposal supported by
testimonies for giving the Righteous Among the Nations charter to
those who put their lives at risk by rescuing Jews.
(hina) jn ms