N.VINODOLSKI HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTE'S RENOVATED ROOMS OPENED

NOVI VINODOLSKI, Jan 6 (Hina) - An envoy of the Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, and the Croatian Constitutional Court's President Jadranko Crnic, on Monday opened renovated rooms of the Croatian Institute for Human Rights in Novi Vinodolski (100 kms southwest of Zagreb). The Institute was established on January 6 last year on the day when the famous 1288 Vinodolski Charter had been promulgated which also contained the core of the human rights protection. The Institute's task is to evaluate and promote human rights in Croatia, Croatian state history and the centuries-old rule of law as well as to develop democratic forms of communications. In an introductory speech the Institute's Head Nikola Filipovic said the Institute, in cooperation with best-known European and world lawyers, would study traditional and modern quality of human rights. Jadranko Crnic emphasized that Croatia had adopted many high- quality laws based on European developed countries' experience, and even abolished a death sentence while the aggression against the country was at its height. Crnic conveyed a message of President Tudjman, and stressed that the purpose of the Institute would be to promote and protect human rights as well as to back up the development of democracy in Croatia. He also marked the beginning of the assembly of the Institute's members. On this occasion the Institute's charters were delivered to Presidents and representatives of Austria's, Albania's, Germany's and Slovakia's Constitutional Courts. The Institute was established on January 6, 1996, as a non- governmental and non-profit-making organization, by law faculties of Zagreb, Split, Rijeka and Osijek and the town of Novi Vinodolski. Besides, Mostar law faculty, Croatian Bar Association, Zagreb-based Police Academy and Forestry Academy, the Croatian society for civil law science and practice and the Croatian Red Cross were engaged in its establishment. Monday's ceremony of opening the Institute's renovated rooms was attended by Croatian House of Counties President Katica Ivanisevic, the Guardian of the State Seal, Ivan Milas and other officials, public figures and Croatian and foreign scholars. (hina) mš 061732 MET jan 97