BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 3415 HINA ZAGREB, OCTOBER 17

ICTY:IT'S POSSIBLE THAT FOREIGN DOCTORS CHECK TUTA'S HEALTH STATE THE HAGUE, Oct 17 (Hina) - The War Crimes Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) can send doctors to examine the health condition of a was crimes suspect, Mladen Naletilic Tuta, upon being officially notified that there are medical reasons for non- extradition of this Bosnian Croat to the Hague-based Tribunal, said an ICTY spokesman on Sunday.#L# In case that health reasons prevent his extradition, there is a possibility that an international team of doctors examine Naletilic, the spokesman, Jim Landale said after being asked to comment on health problems of Mladen Naletilic Tuta, wanted by the Hague Tribunal as he allegedly committed crimes against humanity and breached Geneva Conventions as well as the laws and customs of war in the Mostar area 1993 and 1994. Last Friday, Croatia's Supreme Court confirmed the Zagreb County Court's ruling in favour of Naletilic's deferral to the Hague Tribunal. The pre-condition for any following step by the ICTY is that the Croatian Government formally inform this court about reasons why it is not possible to extradite this suspect to The Hague. Last Thursday Naletilic was admitted at the coronary care unit of a Zagreb hospital as his health was deteriorating. The Hague Tribunal has already done examinations of the health condition of some suspects, just as in the case of Bosnian Croat Zlatko Aleksovski, Landale added. CROATIA WILL ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION FOR NALETILIC ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - Following an announcement made by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Sunday that an international medical team could check the health condition of Mladen Natelilic Tuta, Croatian Justice Minister confirmed Naletilic's health was in an "exceptionally grave condition". Separovic stressed Croatia accepted the international medical commission. The Croatian Supreme Court's written statement about Naletilic's condition will be forwarded to the Tribunal on Monday, as well as medical test results and a doctors' consilium opinion on Naletilic's state. "We will send this to the ICTY president and the chief prosecutor, as was agreed during our talks in The Hague," Separovic told Croatian Television Sunday. If requested, "we will accept an international medical commission to ascertain whether Naletilic can take the transferral". He stressed Croatia had "resisted the pressures for extradition without decisions of its justice bodies," adding "the Croatian Supreme Court's decision allowing the extradition of defendant to the ICTY is final". "The only new issue is the health condition which has obviously become aggravated," Separovic said. "Naletilic's exceptionally grave health condition" are confirmed by "test results of the best Croatian medical experts", he said. "We believe there is no reason to mistrust the highest authorities of Croatian medicine, but when it comes to delicate cases with international implications, we allow the possibility, as had been in the Aleksovski case, for an international arbitration team to come and establish the condition," Separovic said. Last Thursday Naletilic was admitted at the coronary care unit of a Zagreb hospital as his health was deteriorating. POPE DAY CELEBRATED IN ZAGREB ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - Pope's Day was celebrated in Zagreb Sunday under the organisation of the Great Crusade Brotherhood. "Us Croatians must never forget what the Holy Father did for our freedom. He beatified Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac and sanctified Marko Krizevcanin and visited our country twice," president of the Great Crusade Brotherhood, Petar Kraljevic, said. At the end of the celebration a telegram was forwarded to Pope John Paul II stressing that crusaders would continue to follow the path and teachings of the Holy Father. Attending the celebration was also the Apostolic Nuncio in Croatia, Monsignor Giulio Einaudi. JOSIP MATUSEK AWARDED FOR CONTRIBUTING TO CZECH REPUBLIC'S REPUTATION ZAGREB, Oct 14 (Hina) - Writer and translator Josip Matusek from the north Croatian town of Daruvar last Thursday received a Jan Masaryk Gratias Agit award for life's work, by which the homeland of his ancestors is expressing gratitude to individuals for their contribution in promoting Czech science and culture abroad. The award which is presented by the Czeczh foreign ministry for the third time since its establishment, was gven to Matusek by the Czech Ambassador to Croatia, Jiri Kudela. Saying he did not deem his work as great, but just a contribution to the interests and maintenance of the Czech minority in Croatia, Matusek expressed in a brief speech satisfaction for being appreciated in the Czech Republic, the country of his great-great grandfather who came to Croatia in search of work. According to Kudela, the Jan Masaryk Gratias Agit award belonged to individuals who, notwithstanding their nationality and citizenship, significantly contributed to strengthening the reputation of the Czech Republic long-term and outside the frames of their professional duties. Pedagogyst, literary critic historian, ethnographer, writer, translator and professor, Josip Matusek (born in 1920), earned this award undoubtedly through his systematic work on gathering information about the history of Czechs in Croatia, which resulted in the publishing of two books, "200 Years Together", published in two languages in 1991, and "Czechs in Croatia", published in the Czech language in 1994 and in Croatian in 1996. Matusek was nominated as candidate for the award at the instigation of the Československy ustav zahranični institution, an association which connects the Czech homenald with the diaspora. The nomination was supported, among others, by the Friendship Association of South Slavs in the Czech Republic, and the Croatian- Czech Society in Zagreb. 5 SERB ORTHODOX EPARCHS HOLD SERVICE IN RENOVATED CHURCH IN TENJA TENJA, Oct 17 (Hina) - Serb Orthodox believers in the Osijek and Baranja eparchy, eastern Croatia, on Saturday celebrated the Day of Patron Saint of their community, St. Stevan Stiljanovic. The central ceremony was held on October 16 in Tenja, outside the city of Osijek, where five Serb Orthodox bishops along with about 30 priests conducted the service in the recently renovated church. Present at the liturgy were many Orthodox believers. The head of the Osijek and Baranja Orthodox eparchy, Eparch Lukijan recalled a message given by Apostle Paul saying that the Lord has called people to go from the darkness into the light. The Serb Orthodox dignitary added that the light of joint future had been kindled in Slavonia and Baranja (eastern Croatia). "In these areas we have always lived together and therefore we have to build our future in peace and true religious atmosphere," he told his congregation. An important contribution to the future coexistence is these reconstructed church facilities, the renovation of which has been supported by Osijek-Baranja County, Eparch Lukijan said and thanked county authorities for that act of good will. The orthodox parish priest of Tenja, Srecko Leskovac, also thanked County Prefect Branimir Glavas for local authorities' assistance in the renovation of these religious facilities upon the Orthodox Church's request for help. Another Serb dignitary, Mihajlo Marijanac, said at yesterday's liturgy that this war-stricken area had learnt that nobody could benefit from war. THIS BULLETIN INCLUDES ITEMS RECEIVED BY 22.00 HOURS SUNDAY