$ ZAGREB, 11 Nov (Hina) - Member countries of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which are holding a review conference in Vienna ahead of their summit in Lisbon, have criticised Croatia for deficiencies
concerning respect for human rights, Croatia's representative with the OSCE Darko Bekic told reporters on Monday.
DEFICIENCIES
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ZAGREB, 11 Nov (Hina) - Member countries of the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which are holding a
review conference in Vienna ahead of their summit in Lisbon, have
criticised Croatia for deficiencies concerning respect for human
rights, Croatia's representative with the OSCE Darko Bekic told
reporters on Monday. #L#
Ireland, as the chairman of the European Union, Norway and the
United States criticised Croatia over its restriction of the
freedom of press, too great influence of Croatia's authorities on
the media, restriction of media criticism and the refusal of the
county's authorities to give certain radio-stations broadcast
concessions, Bekic told in a phone conversation with the Croatian
news agency Hina.
Answering to those criticisms, Bekic said that there had been
no prohibition of newspapers and that certain trials had ended with
the acquittal of journalists as well as that the establishment of
new papers and electronic media was the best proof that the freedom
of the media was being promoted.
The second most important criticism concerned Croatia's
insufficient cooperation with The Hague Tribunal for former
Yugoslavia. It was stressed that Croatia refused to extradite Ivica
Rajic and Dario Kordic (Bosnian Croats), who, it was said, were
walking freely through Zagreb.
Croatia could not be responsible for the extradition of
persons who were not on its territory, Bekic answered, adding that
the Tribunal's president judge Antonio Cassese himself had
confirmed that Croatia was the most cooperative party of all other
former Yugoslav states.
Most criticism for human rights disrespect was directed to
White Russia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Russia and Albania. Croatia was not
mentioned in this group, but there were comments concerning the
human rights situation in Croatia, Bekic said.
As an argument for the fact that Croatia respects human
rights, Bekic said that 231 criminal proceedings had been completed
and more than a thousand suits had been filed concerning criminal
actions which had been committed in the liberated Croatian areas.
More than 200 participants at the OSCE Vienna conference are
to prepare a closing document for their summit which is to be held
in Lisbon at the beginning of December. The document is to give a
draft model of European security in the 21st century and set the
future of OSCE engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the
status of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the organisation.
The document will also tackle the adjustment of the agreement on
the reduction of conventional weapons in Europe in the period of
cold war.
OSCE would take over responsibility for the completion of the
election process in Bosnia and control over human rights once the
elections were completed, Bekic said.
(hina) rm jn
111655 MET nov 96