EU, ICRC RENEW DEMANDS FOR POWS RELEASE IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Jan 24 (Hina) - Representatives of European Union member- countries and the International Red Cross (ICRC), on Wednesday asked from Bosnia-Herzegovina's authorities to unconditionally release prisoners of war. #L# On behalf of the EU, Italian, French and British ambassadors to Bosnia-Herzegovina demanded on Wednesday, that the President of the Bosnian Presidency, Alija Izetbegovic, release all detainees and thus fulfill his obligations under the Dayton peace accord. This demand was sent only a day after US Assistant Secretary of State, John Shattuck, had talked with Izetbegovic on the same issue. A statement issued by Izetbegovic's office after the meeting said that the Bosnian side was ready to fulfill its obligations under to the peace agreement, and expressed hope that the ICRC would facilitate the POWs release by submitting their lists of detainees. The ICRC head in Bosnia, Beat Schweitzer, said in Sarajevo on Wednesday that he expected 645 war prisoners to be released. According to the ICRC, the Bosnian Government is still holding 318 detainees, Serbs 150 and the Bosnian Croat Forces (HVO) 177. Schweitzer also said that the Red Cross would make efforts to have all detainees set free, whose names were not on lists submitted by former warring factions. He quoted an example of a prison in Tuzla where ICRC workers had not succeeded in entering despite repeated demands. It is suspected that in the Tuzla prison there are dozens of POWs whose names have not been submitted by the Bosnian Government. Schweitzer said that an ICRC search party would try to find out whereabouts of thousands of people who had gone missing in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He added that the ICRC would cooperate with the International War Crimes Tribunal in announced investigations of mass grave sites. (hina) jn lm 241745 MET jan 96