WASHINGTON, 31 Jan (Hina) - The U.S. State Department yesterday released its annual report on human rights in the world. The report, which is submitted every year to U.S. Congress by 30 January, deals with human rights violations on
several thousand pages, including U.S. estimations of situations and human rights violations in more than hundred countries.
WASHINGTON, 31 Jan (Hina) - The U.S. State Department yesterday
released its annual report on human rights in the world.
The report, which is submitted every year to U.S. Congress by
30 January, deals with human rights violations on several thousand
pages, including U.S. estimations of situations and human rights
violations in more than hundred countries. #L#
Twenty-seven pages of the report are dedicated to Croatia.
They contain criticism concerning the exercise and protection of
human rights of the Serb ethnic community in the country.
The State Department holds that Croatian authorities
'continued to commit or allow serious abuses, in particular with
regard to the treatment of ethnic Serbs'.
A special stress is laid on the prevention of the return of
Croatian Serb refugees.
A positive example of protection of human rights is the town
of Pakrac (some 50 km south-east of Zagreb, liberated in 1995).
Thanks to efforts by the local police forces, murders, looting
and threats are being recorded in lesser numbers then in the
previous year, the report said.
However, Croatian authorities have not done enough to
investigate those cases and punish perpetrators.
There were no reports of political murders, while several
cases of ethnically motivated murders were reported.
Croatian authorities are further criticised for limiting press
freedom and the use of the courts and administrative bodies in
restraining or shutting down newspapers, radio-stations and
television programs that criticize them.
Examples of this are weeklies and dailies 'Feral Tribune',
'Novi List', 'Nacional', 'Panorama', the Zagreb-based 'Radio 101',
the Varazdin-based radio 'Sjever-sjeverozapad'' and the Croatian
Television broadcast 'Slikom na Sliku'.
Amendments to the Criminal Code are interpreted as a form of
additional pressure against press freedom.
The 'Zagreb City Council Crisis' is described as an example of
partial limitation of the right of citizens to freely change their
government.
The country's cooperation with The Hague Tribunal is described
as 'uneven'.
Data from non-government organisations say that 30% of women
in Croatia are victims of domestic violence, the report said,
adding that women hold lower paying positions in the work force.
The government is strongly committed to the welfare of
children, the report said.
Academic freedoms are mainly respected as well as freedom of
assembly, association, religious freedoms and freedom of movement,
the report said.
(hina) rm jn
311205 MET jan 97