U.N. DEMANDS SERBS RELEASE ILLEGALLY ARRESTED BOSNIAN CROAT

( Editorial: --> 4403 ) SARAJEVO, Aug 18 (Hina) - The United Nations mission in Bosnia- Herzegovina has demanded Bosnian Serb authorities immediately release a Bosnian Croat who was arrested on August 14. UN spokesman Alexander Ivanko on Tuesday said Bosnian Serb police had arrested Robert Repac, from Capljina, in Ljubinje in eastern Herzegovina under accusations he had committed war crimes. Repac was transported to the Foca prison where he is currently located. Ivanko said this was a drastic violation of the so-called "rules of the road" established in 1996, under which local authorities in BH cannot try anyone for war crimes unless they receive permission from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. The international war crimes tribunal has not given authorities in the Bosnian Serb republic any documents which charge Repac, the UN spokesman said. Ivanko said the court judge in Trebinje who had given the writ to extend Repac's custody did not know about the existence of the rules on the procedures to be used by local authorities in cases which involve a war crimes suspect. International Police Task Force (IPTF) representatives have visited Repac in the Foca prison and for now have no criticisms of the way he has been treated, although they insist on his unconditional release. (Hina) mbr 181941 MET aug 98