INTERNATIONAL, FEDERAL REPS ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN HERZEGOVINA

MOSTAR, Dec 10 (Hina) - Officials of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE), the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), International Police Task Force (IPTF), and ombudsmen, held a press conference in Mostar on Tuesday on occasion of the international Human Rights Day, December 10. The Mostar-based office of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Federation ombudsmen had received 1370 requests for human rights protection in a broad area of Herzegovina this year, said a federal deputy ombudsman, Sefik Hadzihasanovic, in charge of the Herzegovina area. According to Hadzihasanovic, 1145 requests have been submitted by Bosniacs (Moslems), while 160 such requests have been filed by Croats, and rest of them by members of other ethic groups. He warned of problems in the Moslem-controlled town of Jablanica (north of Mostar), where Moslem families had occupied houses of Croat families, what caused "unbearable situation and there were incidents as well." He also warned of problems in the Croat-controlled towns of Livno and Tomislavgrad, where many Moslems had been dismissed from their jobs during the Croat-Moslem conflict. "There have been 348 Bosniak (Moslem) requests for re- employment sent from Livno and 121 sent from Tomislavgrad," Hadzihasanovic said. He described the law on abandoned flats, adopted by Bosnia- Herzegovina's Presidency in 1992, as the "hindrance to the implementation of the Dayton Accord." The Mostar-based UNHCR office head Neil Wright said that in the last few weeks 24 houses had been blown up in the Croat- controlled town of Capljina. In this year 70 evictions from flats had been recorded in Mostar, Wright said but did not explain in which parts of the city evictions had happened. He added that the latest example of the eviction had taken place a day before when four uniformed persons kicked out a 56-year-old man from his flat. OSCE and IPTF officials said that "violence has been continuing" in Herzegovina a year after the signing of the Dayton Accords, and requested support from local authorities in overcoming the problems. (hina) jn mš 101823 MET dec 96