Human Rights Watch issues report on Croatia
WASHINGTON, Jan 21. (Hina). Human Rights Watch, a US nongovernmental organisation, on Wednesday released its annual report on the human rights situation in the world. When it comes to Croatia, the NGO points out problems with war crimes trials, persons treated in mental health institutions, treatment of asylum seekers as well as threats to media freedom.
The report read that Croatia still conducts proceedings against war crimes suspects and the NGO accuses Croatia of its inconsistent cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). In this context the Human Rights Watch claims that the Croatian authorities deny possessing key documents sought by the ICTY prosecution in the trial against three Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac.
According to the report, Serbs continue to make up the majority of defendants in domestic war crimes trials.
"In the first eight months of 2009, Croatian authorities issued eight new war crimes indictments against 16 individuals, 14 of whom were Serbs."
There were 20 active trials during the first eight months of 2009, involving 61 defendants. Thirty seven (37) were Serbs.
The HRW also underlines the problem of Branimir Glavas who fled to Bosnia-Herzegovina on the day when he was handed down a prison sentence for war crimes.
As regards the situation of persons with disabilities, the report points to "excessive and unnecessary forced institutionalisation of people on the grounds of mental illness". The document cites the case of Ana Dragicevic "who was placed in a psychiatric hospital by her parents at age 16 in 2004, after they learned of her romantic relationship with another girl. She was released from the institution in May 2008 after an intervention by the State Attorney's Office, following a long campaign by the local media and a civil society organisation."
As regards the treatment of asylum seekers, the HRW criticises Croatia for applying standards lower than international and European standards.
"Croatia's treatment of asylum seekers and migrants continues to fall short of international and European standards. More asylum seekers were detained in 2009, according to UNHCR, despite fewer being charged with illegal entry."
"The refugee recognition rate remains extremely low: only one of the 93 applicants in the first seven months of 2009 was granted."
As regards media freedom, threats were reflected in the more obvious interference of politics in state media and in the pressure on reporters during 2009.
The report cites cases of Denis Latin, a reporter of the national television broadcaster (HTV), who "lost his contract and was prohibited from appearing on other state shows, after he protested a decision by management to bar an investigative journalist from appearing on his program."
The report added that "physical attacks against journalists decreased in 2009, but limited progress was made in investigating murders and attacks on journalists from 2008. In separate investigations, Croatian prosecutors indicted six and Serbian prosecutors two individuals for the October 2008 killings of Ivo Pukanic, the editor of Nacional, and his marketing director, Niko Franjic. The police in Croatia have yet to identify any suspects in the June 2008 attack on the investigative journalist Dusan Miljus."
As regards Serb refugees the report claims that they "continue to face obstacles to sustainable return".
The report commends Croatia for "positive movement in restoring occupied agricultural land to Serb owners."
"In April the government, former occupants, and current owners reached an out-of-court settlement restoring possession of 28 parcels of agricultural land to their Serb owners."
"There was some progress in recognising for pension eligibility wartime periods of work by Serbs in formerly rebel-held areas. As of August 2009, 55 percent of the 17,586 requests made had been processed, although barely half were resolved positively, in part because of disputes about admissible evidence."
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