ZUROFF: SO FAR OUR TRUST IN CROATIA PROVED JUSTIFIED

( Editorial: --> 5975 ) ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina)- The visit to Croatia has given us an opportunity for frank talks with Croatian officials and representatives of the Croatian Jewish community, director of Jerusalem's Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), Dr. Efraim Zuroff, stated in Zagreb on Monday. Speaking at a press briefing at Zagreb's Esplanade hotel, he stressed he had very interesting talks with Foreign Minister Mate Granic, Deputy Justice Minister Snjezana Bagic and Deputy Education Minister Ivan Janes. "I gave Deputy Minister Bagic documents on crimes that Dinko Sakic committeed at Jasenovac, bearing proof to murders that he committed personally", Zuroff said. He added that he delivered to the Ministry of Justice a list of potential witnesses from Jasenovac and offered the Ministry his Center's assistance. "We also discussed a programme for the protection of witnesses, considering that some of the witnesses from Jasenovac are afraid to testify in the Sakic case", said Zuroff. The top officials of the Justice Ministry are aware of the problem and have already taken some steps and drafted a strategy for the protection of witnesses, he said. "If Sakic was acquitted because some of the witnesses declined to testify out of fear, that would amount to another victory of the Ustasha and the Nazis", Zuroff said, adding that obne should take into account that some witnesses did not live in Croatia but in the FRY and other countries. "Those witness should be enabled to come to Zagreb and take stand", added he. "I also provided Deputy Minister Bagic with documents on Sakic's wife Nada, proving that she participated in murder of inmates at the Stara Gradiska camp. I also requested an investigation into her case". The Deputy Minister promised to study the documents as a first step towards an investigation. Zuroff also said that he gave the Ministry documents on Ivo Rojnica, referring to a large number of arrests in Dubrovnik during Second World War, on deportation of the arrested to concentration camps and confiscation of property in the town. The SWC director noted he was very satisfied with the answers by the Justice Ministry and by its stands. He added he hoped that cooperation between the SWC and the Ministry whould continue. "We do not intend to interfere with the Croatian judiciary. We have requested Sakic's extradition to Croatia and so far we have not been left down", Zuroff said. Commenting on a meeting with FM Mate Granic, Zuroff said the Ministry of Justice and the Government as a whole were aware of the keen interest for Sakic's process internationally. Croatia is located in the heart of Europe and the process will be covered by all the media. Sakic's process could turn out to be the first trial of a war criminal in an ex-communist country", Zuroff said. With Minister Granic I discussed the possibility of establishing a joint commission for Croatian textbooks and another for the investigation of war crimes during Second World War. We also debated the problematic nomination of a street after Mile Budak (an author and minister in the NDH's Government), the SWC director said. Dr. Zuroff also thanked The Association for Religious Freedom for inviting him to Croatia and enabling him to visit the former camp in Jasenovac and pay homage to its victims. (Hina) jn mr . 062159 MET jul 98