STEINER DEMANDS NEW TRIAL AGAINST W. MOSTAR POLICEMEN

SARAJEVO, Mar 23 (Hina) - Deputy high representative for the implementation of the peace agreement in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH), Michael Steiner, on Sunday requested of the Federation's highest officials the implementation of legal action against the policemen responsible for the Mostar incidents of 10 February. He also warned that a recent trial against the Western Mostar policemen, held there, "had nothing in common with justice, nor was it independent or unbiased". In a letter forwarded today to the president and the co-president of the Federation of BH, Vladimir Soljic and Ejup Ganic respectively, Steiner said that the investigation performed by the international police indisputably ascertained that policemen Ivan Hrkac, Zeljko Planinic and Bozo Peric had fired at Bosniaks (Muslims) who on 10 February visited a cemetery in Mostar's Liska Street, which led to the killing of one and the wounding of at least 20 other persons. Stressing that on 24 February he had requested of the BH Presidency chairmen Alija Izetbegovic and Kresimir Zubak the arrest and trial of the mentioned Western Mostar policemen, Steiner pointed out that his stand had been supported by the UN Security Council, which also expressed worry in relation to the authorities' failure to undertake all necessary measures to do so. The Western Mostar Court had paroled the three policemen, Steiner said in his letter, adding that they were actually freed. During the trial before the Mostar court, the public prosecutor had not even performed the necessary investigation, completely disregarding the fact that the policemen were responsible for the killing and wounding of a large number of civilians, Steiner further said in his letter. "These facts show that the legal procedure had nothing in common with justice. It was not independent, unbiased nor made known to the public in the proper way, which is a violation of Article VI of the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Basic Freedoms, and as such of Article II of the Constitution of BH. Legal action against the three policemen did not take place within the frame of the law and justice has not been done", Steiner said in his letter. He also requested of the Eastern Mostar Court not to begin a parallel trial against the three suspects, and to enable members of the international police to have full supervision of an expected investigation. He would regularly inform the UN Security Council about all future steps related to this case, Steiner concluded in his letter to Soljic and Ganic. (hina) ha 231945 MET mar 97