OSIJEK COUNTY COURT ASKS SODOLOVAC SENTENCES NOT BE OVERTURNED

( Editorial: --> 0119 ) OSIJEK, July 27 (Hina) - Osijek County Court president Petar Kljajic on Monday confirmed he had asked the Croatian Interior Ministry to maintain sentences against remaining members of the so- called Sodolovac Group. The Osijek County Court in 1995 sentenced in absentia members of the group to long-term periods in prison because they were found to have committed war crimes against civilians, by shelling settlements in eastern Croatia during 1992. Lawyers for the accused, who have remained in the Croatian Danube River region following its reintegration, have demanded a re- trial. But the Osijek County Court has rejected their claim explaining that the accused could at any moment abandon their place of residence. In order for a re-trial to be granted, they had to serve their full sentences, the court said. "Of the 19 group members eight are in Sodolovac, while it is believed that the rest are on the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia," Kljajic said. He said he would persevere in the demand that the men, for whom arrest warrants have been issued, be handed over to Croatian judicial bodies and serve their sentences, because this was the only possible way to renew the court procedure, as they cannot be defended while being out of custody. Kljajic said of the 19 group members, those remaining in Sodolovac included Zeljko Keskenovic, Djordje Rkman, Milorad Radic, Marinko Stankovic, Vujo Halavanja, Zdravko Kojcinovic and current Sodolovac municipal head Pero Klickovic, while the county court was undertaking proceedings against Goran Vusurovic. "It is untenable that a valid court verdict is not carried out when it can be seen that a war crime has not aged even after 50 years, therefore I ask the police to execute the arrest warrants and bring them (the accused) to carry out their sentences," Kljajic said. During a visit to Osijek, Assistant Interior Minister Josko Moric said that in resolving this case "police can only do what has been regulated in the justice system". He did not detail when and in which way the court's request would be met. Sodolovac municipal head Pero Klickovic, one of the people on the Sodolovac Group list, did not want to comment on the new development of events, explaining how he "did not have good experiences with journalists". (Hina) mbr jn /lml 271740 MET jul 98