PICARD APPOINTED NEW PRESIDENT OF BH HOUSE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ( Editorial: --> 7896 )

( Editorial: --> 7896 ) SARAJEVO, Nov 3 (Hina) - The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers on Monday appointed French judge Michel Picard as president of the House for Human Rights of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The House was established under Annexe VII of the Dayton peace agreement. It has eight members appointed by the international community and six members from BH. Its task is to react to all forms of human rights violations, especially those banned by the European Human Rights Charter. According to a statement of the House's seat in Sarajevo, its judges mostly dealt with the fate of people gone missing after being arrested on the territory of the Bosnian Serb entity, death sentences passed on the territory of the Bosnian (Croat-Moslem) Federation, and issues relating to the right to private property. The House for Human Rights is financed by donations from Council of Europe member-countries. The U.S. recently voiced willingness to donate USD one million to assist the activities of the House and of the ombudsman's office. (hina) ha 032042 MET nov 97