ZAGREB, March 19 (Hina) - Amnesty International Croatia (AIH) on Friday issued a press release expressing concern over a statement which Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul gave in Jerusalem on Monday during his visit to Israel. It also
called on President Stjepan Mesic not to forget, during his upcoming visit to Syria, cases of violation of human rights of the Kurd minority in that country.
ZAGREB, March 19 (Hina) - Amnesty International Croatia (AIH) on Friday
issued a press release expressing concern over a statement which
Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul gave in Jerusalem on Monday during his
visit to Israel. It also called on President Stjepan Mesic not to
forget, during his upcoming visit to Syria, cases of violation of
human rights of the Kurd minority in that country.#L#
On Monday, Zuzul voiced understanding for the Israeli position in the
Middle East conflict, and assessed that Palestinians did not have the
real leader for peace negotiations, thus bringing into question the
role of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
AIH recalls that at the 8 March meeting between AIH officials and
representatives of the foreign ministry's human rights department,
held in connection with a session of the UN human rights commission,
it was said that Croatia, as a member of the commission, would not
support unilateral stands.
"The latest statements of Minister Zuzul depart from this position and
put Croatia's delegation in Geneva in a situation in which it should
opt for one side, regardless of the consequences of such a policy for
human rights," AIH said.
The organisation calls on Croatia, as the UN commission's member, to
call on the Israeli government to immediately discontinue the
construction of the safety wall on the West Bank, stop the illegal
devastation of Palestinian houses in the occupied areas and annul
numerous restrictions it has imposed on Palestinians, as well as to
call on the Israeli army and armed Palestinian groups to immediately
stop killing civilians.
Zagreb should call on the Israeli government to revoke the
discriminatory law which bans Israeli citizens from living together
with their Palestinian spouses and immediately and unconditionally
release all detained draftees and reservists who are conscientious
objectors, AIH said.
The organisation also commented on the ongoing visit of President
Mesic to Syria, a country which is violating the rights of ethnic
Kurds. It recalled that in the Kurd-populated areas of Syria ethnic
conflicts between Arabs and Kurds had claimed the lives of several
dozen people and that Kurd men and boys were arrested on a massive
scale and many of them disappeared after the arrests. AIH therefore
calls on President Mesic to support the requests of Amnesty
International during his tour of that country.
(Hina) ms sb