OHR BiH Media Round-up, 14/8/2005

RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs)

TV PINK (18,00 hrs)

BHT 1 (19,00 hrs)

Komarica on return process

Lukic update

Komarica on suffering of Croats

Remembrance day in B.Grahovo

Komarica on minority rights

7 miners infected by leptospirosis

OHR on Prce’s reduced sentence

HR re Lozancic’s decision

ITA on transport of heating oil

Fuel prices rise

Police Reform update

Osmanovic on police reform

NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs)

FTV (19,30 hrs)

RTRS (19,30 hrs)

Lukic update

7 miners infected by leptospirosis

War crimes trials in BIH

Mice fever update

Protests in village Goles

Ljajic on Milan Lukic

Miners from Breza at strike

Osmanovic on police reform

OHR on Prce’s reduced sentence

Komarica on minority rights

Reactions to Lozancic’s decision

Irregularities in Gacko

Oslobodjenje

Ashdown to abolish pardon to Prce

Dnevni Avaz

Zvornik group-of-seven must be tried in BiH

Dnevni List

Authorities are hindering returns of Catholics

Vecernji List

Covic: Hays’ Dayton will not be accepted

Nezavisne Novine

I want to be tried in Banja Luka, not in Zagreb

Political Developments/Reforms

OHR feels that the decision of FBIH President Niko Lozancic to reduce the sentence to former FBIH Defence Minister Miroslav Prce is worrying

Oslobodjenje cover pg splash, pg 3 ‘Ashdown to abolish pardon to Prce’ by R.I., Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘A great concern of OHR’, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘OHR: Such pardons should be prevented’ by ra,RHB, TV PINK, BH TV 1, NTV Hayat, RTRS – OHR feels that the decision of FBIH President Niko Lozancic to reduce the sentence to former FBIH Defence Minister MIroslav Prce is worrying.  Prce was sentenced to 5 years in prison and Lozancic reduced his sentence by a year. OHR feels that this decision undermines the rule of law and adds that Lozancic is using a part of legislative that will soon be abolished. OHR also stated that the judge in charge of the case does not recommend the reduction of sentence to Prce. HR Paddy Ashdown will look into this case next week when all details will be available.

Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘Lozancic ignored warning of BiH Court’ by R.Cengic – Apart from carrying OHR stance on this issue, daily brings comment of Slobodan Kovac, BiH Justice Minister, saying that decision Niko Lozancic made represent “an absurd beyond comprehension”.

Prce’s family member says Prce reached bargain with Prosecutor on his probation release

Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Miroslav Prce will ask probation release’, announced on cover ‘Prce hoping for probation release’ by H.Orahovac – A family member of Miroslav Prce told daily that Prce is not completely satisfied with sentence reduction and will therefore file a motion for probation release. The same source also reveals that during the bargain process with the Prosecutor, Prce reached an agreement that he should be released on probation after he serves one third of his sentence. Source notes that one third of sentence expired in May.

Reactions to Lozancic’s decision to reduce sentence for Prce

FTV – FBiH President Niko Lozancic decided to reduce the sentence for former FBiH Minister of Defence Miroslav Prce for one year. Prce has been sentenced to five years in prison for office abuse in Hercegovacka banka case. This issue has caused many controversies, since Prce has been sentenced by BH Court, and Lozancic’s decision to reduce sentence is based on FBiH Law. In his statement for FTV, Lozancic stated that his decision has been made upon Prce’s request for sentence reduction, and it is fully legal. According to him, Prce was in the list of tens of persons who requested decrease of sentence and who’s requests had been approved by legal experts. Jusuf Halilagic, Secretary of BiH Ministry of Justice stated that Lozancic’s decision is illegal, as sentences by BH Court can only be reduced in accordance with BiH laws. However, BiH Law on amnesty has been annulled by High Representative in November 2004. Therefore, Prce’s sentence couldn’t be decreased at all, claimed Halilagic. OHR also reacted to Lozancic’s decision. As stated in the press release, OHR is worried over this decision, since Lozancic has used the period of change of the Law on amnesty.

VL interview with Covic: Hays’ Dayton will not be accepted

Vecernji List cover pg splash ‘Covic: Hays’ Dayton will not be accepted’, pg 5 ‘Not a single party will not sign Hays’ Dayton’ by Zoran Kresic – In an interview to daily, Dragan Covic, HDZ President, responding to press question as to whether any sort of agreement might be reached on talks regarding constitutional changes (that are secretly run by a group of people led by the former PDHR Donald Hays), says that: “HDZ is taking part in talks together with other nine parliamentary parties. I am not convinced that have some good results, although we have accepted the principle on secrecy of work….It is not a secret Dayton. This project is free of public eye in order to try to accomplish more qualitative results in a peace atmosphere. However, regardless of consultations at the end, not a single party will sign final outcome. Furthermore, it is also good that stances on organisation of the BiH and certain institutions like Presidency, Parliament are presented.” He notes that the international community already has its scenario and constitutional changes are already taking place. Also, he expresses disappointment over delay upon commencement of the court proceedings against him, Lijanovic brother, Mate Tadic and Professor Zdravko Lucic, caused by departure of seven foreign judges and prosecutor, including Paul Garlic.

Tihic denies involvement in selection process of Disciplinary Prosecutor at HJPC

Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘I did not know disciplinary prosecutor was to be elected’ by R.C. – Sulejman Tihic, Bosniak member to BiH Presidency, claims that he has never exerted a pressure against anybody in order to see his assistant Alma Colo be appointed as disciplinary prosecutor at the HJPC (High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council). He added: “I did not know that the disciplinary prosecutor was to be elected, neither that Alma applied. I do not know anybody at the HJPC – I know Branko Peric, President of this institution, only as TV face.”

Osmanovic’ interview to NN carried by all electronic media

TV PINK, BH TV 1, NTV Hayat, FTV, RTRS – re-report an interview, Adil Osmanovic, RS Vice President, gave to Nezavisne Novine Saturday, where he said that ten police regions are minimum, adding it is obvious it is attempted to make a compromise at the detriment of professionalism in order to satisfy aspirations of the RS politicians. On HR Paddy Ashdown, Osmanovic expressed fear that HR, at the end of his mandate, might accept some compromises in order to ensure police and defence reforms are completed during his mandate.

Dnevni List pg 2 ‘A possible compromise on police reform?!’ by Erna Mackic – Reports of scheduling of meeting at Mrakovica, as well as on statement of Adil Osmanovic, from which the headline was taken.

In the poll carried by Transparency International BIH, citizens believe that unemployment and corruption are the worst problems in BIH

TV PINK – In the poll carried by Transparency International BIH, citizens believe that unemployment and corruption are the worst problems in BIH. 55% of the polled citizens believe that police officers are the most corrupted in BIH. Every fourth citizen has been asked for the bribe by the police officers. Izudin Saric, spokesperson to Tuzla ’s Ministry of Interior stated that citizens should report to the relevant authorities if they witness the bribery of MoI’s employees. MoI from Zenica-Doboj canton stated that corruption in this canton is decreasing since they had only two complaints in comparison to the last year’s three complaints. RS MoI stated that they had only one complaint while F BIH MoI did not have any complaint.

War Crimes

Ljajic says Lukic has no SICG citizenship

TV PINK, RHB, NTV Hayat, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Milan Lukic has no SICG citizenship’ by BETA, Oslobodjenje pg3 ‘Milan Lukic holds no SICG citizenship’  – Serbia-Montenegro Minister for Human Rights, Rasim Ljajicstated in the interview for PINK that ICTY indictee Milan Lukic does not have the SiCG citizenship. He added that most likely Lukic will be extradited to ICTY since it is a court that has the priority in these cases. “We have been requested to submit the complete documentation on Lukic and his indictment before SiCG Prosecution, that is a tremendous work and it is clear that Lukic will not be extradited to SiCG” added Ljajic.

BH TV 1- Ljajic emphasized that the request for extradition is legally justified, because Lukic has been sentenced in absence to 20 years in prison for war crimes committed in Sjeverin.

Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Ljajic: Lukic holds no citizenship of SiCG’, announced on cover ‘Lukic will be extradited to The Hague, not Belgrade’ by S.Turcalo – Florence Hartmann, Spokesperson of the ICTY Prosecutor, stated that: “Milan Lukic will be extradited to The Hague Tribunal, while term he should serve for the crimes he was found guilty will be settled later.”

NN interview with Branimir Glavas: I want to be tried in Banja Luka, not in Zagreb

Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash, pgs 8-9 ‘I want to be tried in Banja Luka, not in Zagreb’ by Vesna Popovic – in a lengthy interview to daily, Branimir Glavas, the war-time commander of Osijek, a fugitive from HDZ and independent delegate at the Croatian Parliament, denies accusations against him, saying that he has nothing to do with the crimes committed against Serbs in Osijek, stressing that Ivo Sanader, Stjepan Mesic and Vladimir Seks are framing him up. He stresses that the campaign against him is politically orchestrated, denying claims of the key witness Krunoslav Fehir, who testified that he had taken part in “tortures and murders of Serb civilians in Osijek upon Glavas’ prder”. He notes he prefers to be tried in Banja Luka than in Zagreb, since the judiciary in Zagreb is under the absolute control of Ivo Sanader.

DA brings comments on Zvornik group

Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ‘Zvornik group-of-seven must be tried in BiH’, pg 9 ‘Criminals from Zvornik must be tried in BiH’ by E.Huremovic – Following the publication of indictment against seven persons held responsible for war crimes committed in Zvornik (which Belgrade War Crimes Chamber at PO brought), Fadil Banjanovic, RS NA MP and President of Kozluk Local Community, and some other collocutors of dailyn share the view that the group-of-seven from Zvornik must be tried in BiH, not SiCG.

First trials for war crimes are expected to start in fall

RTRS – First trials for war crimes are expected to start in fall. Although everything is ready in BIH Court the delay is caused by complicated process of case transfers. Due to appeal procedure ICTY hasn’t officially transferred any cases to BIH yet. Refik Hodzic, Press office Chief at BIH Court stated that there are 30 cases that are in different phases of investigation in BIH Prosecution and Court. There are 9 requests for transfer of cases from ICTY and they are related to 14 persons accused of committing war crimes. ICTYoutreach in BIH Mathias Hellmannstated that ICTY has decided to transfer 8 cases to BIH but those decisions haven’t come into effect yet. Reporter states that cases are Meakic and others, Todovic and Rasevic, Stankovic and Jankovic. BIH Court and Prosecution stresses that everything is ready for start of those trials as well as others for committed war crimes in BIH. BIH Justice Minister Slobodan Kovac emphasised that the burning issue remains lack of prison space. Reporter comments that the public is wondering what are the judges doing until the trials begin to which Hodzic stated that they are introducing themselves to those 30 cases already mentioned as well as participating in the trials for organised crime. Reporter also states that judge Paul Garlic didn’t like that since he resigned only 2 months after he was appointed and ads that public is disappointed since it believes in foreign judges. Reporter concludes that it is unreal to expect great results overnight since for some cases it took 10 years to gather material evidence.

Miscellaneous

Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica held press conference

BH TV 1 – In Saturday’s press conference, Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica stated that on August 14^th 1995, after signing of the international agreement which enabled civilians to leave RS territory, a deadly strike has been infected against Catholic population in this area. From August to October 1995, over 20.000 persons, mostly Catholic Croats and Slovenians, but also Czechs, Bosniaks and Roma have left Banja Luka area. Today, 10 years after end of war, only 6.500 Catholics live in this region. Bishop Komarica commented that constant political obstruction and tolerance for inhuman behaviour of local politicians by the international community are main reasons for legalisation of goals of aggression and ethnic cleansing. He warned BiH and international officials that, if they want BiH to become EU member, they must move from words to actions and enable return and human life to all displaced persons. A positive example for this is Saturday’s celebration of 110^th anniversary of arrival of Czechs to Banja Luka area. Features story on this celebration and Czech families who live in Prnjavor.

Dnevni List cover pg splash, pg 3 ‘Authorities are hindering returns of Catholics’ by Ivica Glibusic Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Politicians do not care for true return of refugees’ by Agencies, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Only 456 thousand of the pre-war 850 thosuand Catholics remained in BiH’, Oslobodjenje pg 7, announced on cover ‘Emigration of Catholics resulted from agreement between RS and International Red Cross’ by FENA RHB, TV PINK, NTV Hayat, FTV – also report

Bakic welcomed the decision of BIH CoM to start the negotiations with BIH farmers but he refused to be led by Minister Doko

TV PINK – President of BIH Union of Framers Ranko Bakic welcomed the decision of BIH Council of Ministers to start the negotiations with BIH farmers but he refused to be led by BIH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic relations Dragan Doko. Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Slobodan Ecimovic stated that this protest of the farmers is “a charade for the media. I met with them few times and every time the negotiations failed because they are influenced by certain lobbies. The representatives of these farmers listen only to themselves”. Reporter stated since everything in this country is monitored by International Community, it is logical that this issue was noticed by the authorised representatives. Head of EC delegation to BiH, Michael Humphreys stated that the entire issue will be resolved in autumn adding that it must be resolved by the local Government and not by the International Community. Reporter noted that in the course of the next week will be seen if the entire protest of the farmers was futile.