BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS STILL THREATENED IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

SARAJEVO, Dec 10 (Hina) - A year since the Peace Agreement on Bosnia-Herzegovina was signed, the respect for fundamental human rights, guaranteed by the Constitution, has been only theoretical commitment, according a statement given by the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) mission chief in Bosnia, Robert Frowick, on occasion of the Human Rights Day, December 10. Frowick said that limited success had been achieved in the protection of human rights: war prisoners had been released, freedom of movement had been improved to some extent, a great number of political parties had taken part in the pre-election campaign that passed off comparatively peacefully. However, the American diplomat admitted he had been personally discouraged by continued reports on illegal and inhumane evictions of people from flats, disturbance and violence against political opposition and members of minority ethnic groups and overall failure to respect law. Members of armed force and police are often responsible for abuses; freedom of speech is being suppressed; war crimes suspects are still at large, even holding high posts, according to Frowick's statement. But, Frowick found more reasons for optimism in the fact that institutions for human rights protections, first of all ombudsmen, had began to function. One of the three Bosnian federal ombudsmen, Ms. Branka Raguz, who had been appointed by the OSCE, said most complaints of citizens referred to the threatening of basic human rights. (hina) jn mš 101713 MET dec 96