CROATIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE AWARDS LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - On the occasion of the Human Rights Day, the Croatian Helsinki Committee awarded its annual award "Miko Tripalo" to the Commander of the Pakrac Police Station Nikola Ivkanec. The committee also awarded poet and politician Vlado Gotovac on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the General Declaration on human rights. Ivanec was awarded with the annual award because he demonstrated humanity to all persons with whom he was in conflict during the Homeland war in Glina, Daruvar, and Pakrac. During Operation Flash in the summer of 1995, Ivankec prevented all attempts of individual terror, retaliation, looting and crimes through energetic measures, read the HHO statement. Vladimir Gotovac was awarded the life achievement award for his overall political activities from the early seventies until today, "even though he perhaps deserves much more for his poetic, essayist or oratory work". HHO presents annual and special awards to state officials, politicians, and local self-government officials for concrete contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights in Croatia, which exceed professional duties and previously established public standards. HHO also awarded the life achievement award to Veljko Vicevic, former editor-in-chief of Rijeka's daily "Novi List". Also awarded were journalist Jelena Lovric, president of the Islamic Community in Croatia Sevko Omerbasic, and parish priest Franjo Jurak. (hina) it/lml