OHR BiH Media Round-up, 2/7/2005
TV news broadcast on DATE
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Croat soldiers monument damaged | Luka Karadzic’s house searched | Maktouf sentenced to 5 years |
| Maktouf sentenced to 5 years | Ljajic: SCG will extradite Mladic | Update on Oric case |
| Ljajic on Mladic | SCG&BIH war crime cooperation | Exhumation in Bijeljina |
| Luka Karadzic’s house searched | Maktouf sentenced to 5 years | SCG and BIH Prosecution Agreement |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Maktouf sentenced to 5 years | Maktouf sentenced to 5 years | HR on police reform |
| Implementation of BiH forestry law | Hunger strike in Zenica prison ended | Maktouf sentenced to 5 years |
| SCG&BIH war crime cooperation | SCG&BIH war crime cooperation | SCG&BIH war crime cooperation |
| Registration of VAT payers starts | Update on Davidovic case | Ljajic on Mladic |
| Oslobodjenje | 4 prisoners stopped hunger strike |
| Dnevni Avaz | Tumult because of passports |
| Dnevni List | 5 years imprisonment to Maktouf |
| Vecernji List | Elections without control of Croat monitors |
| Nezavisne Novine | 5 years imprisonment to Maktouf |
War crimes | |
| BiH Court issued first verdict for war crimes, Maktouf sentenced to 5 years in prison
| Pink – The BiH Court has found Abdulahim Maktouf, an Iraqi citizen living in Travnik, guilty of accomplice to war crimes and sentenced him to 5 year imprisonment. This is the first verdict by the BiH Court related to war crimes case. Maktouf has been found guilty for being an accomplice in kidnapping three Croat civilians from Travnik and their capture in the camp of El Mujahid unit where one of them was killed. The BiH Court press release says that even though the law stipulates minimum 10 years imprisonment for this sort of crime, the Court has decided to reduce it expressing belief that 5 years of imprisonment is an adequate punishment for the committed crime. BHT 1 carries Maktouf’s attorney Ismet Mehic who stated that the defence is disappointed by the verdict. He believes that the verdict is illegal and he announced an appeal. RHB, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘5 years in prison to Abdulahim Maktouf’ by A. Delic, Oslobodjenje pg 10 ‘Abdulahim Maktouf sentenced to 5 years in prison’ by A.N., Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash ‘5 years imprisonment to Maktouf’ and pg 9 ‘Sentenced to 5 years in prison’ by A. Durmo, Dnevni List cover pg splash and pg 7 ‘5 years imprisonment to Maktouf’ by NINA, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘5 years imprisonment to Maktouf for kidnapping of civilian’, mentioned on cover ‘For kidnapping and murder 5 years imprisonment to Maktouf’ by E. Medunjanin carry similar reports. |
| Montenegrin police searched house of Karadzic’s brother
| RHB, Pink, BHT 1, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘House of Luka Karadzic, brother of war criminal Radovan, searched’ not signed, Oslobodjenje pg 10 ‘Police searched houses of family Karadzic’ not signed, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Documents and computer seized’, mentioned on cover ‘Luka Karadzic’s house searched’ by A. Sekulic – TheMontenegrin police searched a house owned by Luka Karadzic, Radovan Karadzic’s brother in Niksic on Thursday night. The police looked for any documents that would indicate Luka’s communication with Radovan. The police seized some video material, photographs, computer and CDs. TheMontenegrin police also searched a house of his daughter Radmila Karadzic-Tomovic. |
| Ljajic: SCG will extradite Mladic
| Pink, BHT 1, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 22 ‘Investigation on those who were protecting and hiding Mladic should be carried out’ not signed, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘I am convinced that SCiG would extradite Ratko Mladic’ not signed, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘SCiG will extradite Mladic’ by beta, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘SCiG will extradite Mladic’ not signed– Serbia and Montenegro will extradite ICTY indictee Ratko Mladic, announced in Belgrade SCG National Council for cooperation with the ICTY, Rasim Ljajic. He also announced that the meeting of BiH, SCG and international community security agencies will be held soon in order to find solutions for full coverage of the border between two countries, often crossed by Mladic and other ICTY indictees. Ljajic said for TV Pink that it is for certain that Mladic is not hiding in his house in Belgrade, as he was until 2002. RHB carry similar reports. |
| Ljaljic on non-arrest of Mladic in 2002
| RTRS – Rasim Ljajic confirmed the statement of former Serbian Police Minister Dusan Mihajlovic that Ratko Mladic was dwelling in his house in Belgrade until 2002. Ljajic stated that Mladic was not arrested since the local authorities felt that after extradition of Slobodan Milosevic international pressure will be reduced and that in the case of the arrest the Army and police would probably come in conflict. Serbian military officials on the other hand claim that the Serbian Army did not protect Mladic. |
| BiH and SCG Prosecutions signed Agreement on cooperation on war crimes cases
| Pink, BHT 1, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘War crimes’ processing would last for decades’ not signed, Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘Processing would last for decades’ by Srna, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘To fully cover part of border between BiH and SCiG’ by De.L., HINA – Representatives of BiH and Serbia and Montenegro Prosecutor’s Offices signed on Thursday in Belgrade an agreement on cooperation in identifying and finding of war crimes suspects and on exchange of information. BiH Chief Prosecutor, Marinko Jurcevic, expressed belief that this agreement would increase efficiency in cooperation on war crimes cases. |
| Brcko District Assembly adopted Declaration on Srebrenica
| BHT 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘We shall also demand resolution for crimes committed in Brcko’ by E.R. – On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of massacre over Bosniaks in Srebrenica, the Brcko District Assembly adopted the Declaration condemning the Srebrenica genocide. The declaration was adopted without SDS representatives, who had left the session before voting. The Brcko District Assembly also condemned all other war crimes committed over Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks and all other BiH citizens. |
| Posters on Srebrenica massacre in Belgrade and Zagreb
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Samarh: Srebrenica is mirror of all of us’, mentioned on cover ‘Srebrenica in centre of Belgrade’ by H. Handzic – Posters showing photographs on the theme of the Srebrenica massacre appeared in Belgrade and Zagreb on Thursday. The author of the photographs and the project itself is BiH photographer Tarik Samarah. DA says that some of the posters in Belgrade were already painted over on Friday by unknown perpetrators. |
| Investigation on Davidovic to be extended
| RHB, BHT 1, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 22 ‘ ‘Scorpion’ also tortured captured Croatian soldiers’ not signed, Oslobodjenje pg 17 ‘Member of ‘Scorpions’ also suspected of torturing Croatian soldiers’ not signed – The investigation against member of “Skorpions” unit Slobodan Davidovic, accused of killing Bosniaks in Srebrenica in 1995, will be extended. Davidovic is also suspected of participating in torture of imprisoned Croatian soldiers and civilians in 1991. |
| Rycroft on ceremony for killed Serbs in Srebrenica on July 12th
| BHT 1 – On July 12th, a memorial centre for Serb victims of war will be opened in village Kravice, only 50 meters away from the place where over 1000 Bosniak men and boys have been killed on July 12th 1995. BHT1 asked British Ambassador in BiH Matthew Rycroft to comment this event. Rycroft stated that there has been suffering on all sides, and all victims should be remembered. However, the Srebrenica massacre is the greatest crime of past war in BiH. According to Rycroft, this event should not be equalized with the Srebrenica tragedy. |
| Sljivancanin to stand trial before ICTY
| BHT 1, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 17 ‘ ‘Troika from Vukovar’ remains in The Hague’ not signed – ICTY Special Court Council approved the request of ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte and decided that Veselin Sljivancanin, Miroslav Radic and Milo Mrksic are going to stand trial before the ICTY, instead before local courts in Croatia or Serbia and Montenegro. Sljivancanin, Radic and Mrksic are accused of killing Croats in Vukovar in 1991. |
Political issues/Security | |
| EC on PBS law/ police reform
| Pink, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘They expect that law on public RTV system would be adopted soon’ not signed, Oslobodjenje pg 10 ‘Police reform is priority’ not signed – The EC Delegation to BiH stated that an important step has been made this week in the BiH Parliament in relation to harmonisation of legislature on Public Broadcasting System (PBS) with the European standards. According to the EC, this has happened regardless of the fact that Croat delegates in the House of Peoples declared that this draft law violates Croat national interests. EC said in its press release that they are now waiting for the BiH Constitutional Court to decide on this matter. The press release also says that this week’s progress should mean that police reform is now the issue to be tackled without further delay if there is to be any possibility of commencing SAA negotiations before the end of the year. |
| HR: Negotiations on police reform need to be continued as soon as possible
| RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Negotiations on police reform must continue immediately’ not signed, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Police must be reformed immediately’ by news agencies – High Representative Paddy Ashdown stated: ‘Negotiations on the police reform must re-open as soon as possible if BiH is to receive a green light from the Commission by the tenth anniversary of Dayton, and join the other countries in the region on the path towards Europe.” The HR stated this in a response to the statement issued by the EC, which said that significant progress has been made regarding adoption of the law on PBS and that the matter of the police reform needs to be resolved without delay. |
| Rycroft: EC will not allow start of negotiations on SAA until issues of police reform and PBS are resolved | RTRS – British Ambassador to BiH Matthew Rycroft stated that the EC will not allow the beginning of the negotiations on Stabilisation and Association Agreement until issues of the police reform and PBS are resolved. Also covered by Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘Rycroft: BiH has lot to do yet’ by I. Sinanovic, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘PBS, police and education are priorities’ by N. Krsman, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘There are no negotiations without agreement’ not signed. |
| UK takes over presiding EU, BiH officials believe that this mean opening of new possibilities for SAA
| Pink – The UK took over 6-months long presiding of EU on Thursday. BiH officials believe that this mean opening of new possibilities for beginning the negotiations on Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), having in mind the cooperation that BiH and UK had until now. The British Embassy in BiH announced support but they also underlined that the main task is on the BiH authorities. “I really waited with a great hope the UK’s presiding over the EU again, expecting that we will begin negotiations on SAA during UK’s mandate,” said Osman Topcagic Director of the BiH Direction for European Integrations. |
| Day of FBiH Police/Halilovic,Miletic on police reform
| FTV – At the ceremony in Sarajevo, the FBiH Police celebrated July 1st – the Day of the FBiH Police. FBiH Minster of Interior Mevludin Halilovic addressed the audience. Halilovic emphasized the significant grow of the police work efficacy, however he also stated that the results could be even better. Halilovic stated that he hopes that the Day of Police next year is going to be celebrated within the united BiH police structure. Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘Police reform is unquestionable ‘ by S.T., Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Police reform inevitable’ not signed, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Policemen ready for implementation of reform’ by N. Bise carry similar report. DL also carries Director of the FBiH Police Administration Zlatko Miletic as saying that the priority of this body is implementation of the police reform on the whole BiH territory. |
| Feature on decertified police officers
| FTV – Zeljko Tica – During the certification process conducted by the IPTF, several hundreds police officers have lost their certificates. Several Sarajevo special task police officers have been decertified because of allegedly illegal action in Zujevina case. The court had acquitted all charges against them. However, they did not get their police certificates back. Ramo Sulic, head of the FBiH Association of Decertified Police Officers stated that there have been many cases of violation of human rights and BiH Constitution during the desertification process. BiH HoP’s Commission for Human Rights confirmed that there has been violation of human rights. Elmir Jahic, the Head of the Commission, stated that Commission has proposed audit of the certification process. The BiH Parliament Assembly accepted the proposal of the Commission. The BiH Council of Ministers has been ordered to establish a commission of audit within 2 months. The reporter commented that the fact that RS Police had arrested several police officers accused of war crime in Srebrenica proves that IPTF’s certification process has had many irregularities. |
| Terzic on BiH CoM’s crisis | Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘I will submit resignation if parliamentary majority demands that from me’ by Onasa, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘I will not submit resignation’ by Onasa – In an interview given to Onasa Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic stated that he does not intend to submit the resignation. He added that he would do it only if the parliamentary majority decides that he submits the resignation. Asked whether there is a possibility that he remains at his current position and that Mladen Ivanic remains the BiH Foreign Minister, Terzic said: ‘I do not see such possibility unless we remove reasons because of which I accepted Ivanic’s resignation.’ |
| DA op-ed: RS is not in hurry to become part of EU
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘RS is not in hurry to become part of Europe’ by E. Sarac carries an editorial which says that RS President Dragan Cavic and his ‘team’ are not in hurry when joining the EU is in question especially since they know now that there would be no sanctions. According to the author, only concrete sanctions can give some results. |
| VL: None Croat candidate applied for vacant position in BiH Election Commission
| Vecernji List cover pg splash ‘Elections without control of Croat monitors’ and pg 3 ‘Elections without control’ by D. Jazvic carries an article on the fact that none Croat candidate put forward his candidacy for the position of the second Croat candidate in the BiH Election Commission and for this reason a new vacancy notice was announced. VL says that this is quite surprising situation since it is about a very attractive and rather well paid position. VL explains that this is one of 3 positions in the BiH Election Commission which has been vacated due to the withdrawal of international members. |
| NN: 2 most wanted terrorists have BiH citizenship
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘2 most wanted terrorists have BiH citizenship’ by D. Muminovic – The BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs confirmed on Friday that 2 BiH citizens are on the list of 36 militants that the Saudi Police characterized as the the most wanted Al Q’aid members. Apart from Muhamed Al-Hijari, terrorist Zaid Saad Al-Shammary also has the BiH citizenship. |
Economy | |
| Update on blockade of HT Mostar account
| Dnevni List pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Banks refused to block HT Mostar account’ by M. Karacic carries that Raiffeisen Bank and UniCredit Zagrebacka Bank refused on Friday to block the HT Mostar account upon the request signed by Hercegovacka Banka Provisional Administrator Toby Robinson (see OHR BiH Media Round-up July 1, 2005). According to DL, these two banks demanded an additional explanation of the Banking Agency on this issue. A DL source said that the Banking Agency would probably withdraw the decision on the blockade of the HT Mostar account since there is no ground for such decision. DL inset under headline ‘Adequate measures against responsible ones’ carries HT Mostar Director Stipe Prlic as saying: ‘I doubt that the lawsuit against Robisnon would have some effect since she is an international clerk, however we shall certainly take adequate measures.’ Vecernji List pg 3 ‘HT account was not blocked, there is no reason for blockade’ , mentioned on cover ‘Blockade of HT threatens’ by Z. Kresic, Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘Prlic: It is unnecessary since we have already allocated money for verdict’ by F. Vele also report on the issue and they carry Plric as saying that the account was not blocked and that there is no reason for the blockade. |
| ITA commence with registration of VAT payers
| Pink, BHT 1, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni List pg 7 ‘Registration of VAT payers started’ by Nina, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘VAT payers registration started’ by V. Rupcic– The BiH Indirect Tax Administration (ITA) announced that registration of VAT payers in BiH started on Friday, July 1. In the announcement stands that all future VAT payers are obligated to forward the requests for registration to the ITA regional centers. All physical and legal entities whose taxable turnover exceeds 50.000 KM are obliged to submit the requests for registration to the ITA until September 30, 2005. |
| EC congratulates ITA on beginning registration for VAT payers | RHB – The EC delegation in BIH congratulates ITA on beginning of the registration for VAT payers. The registration started on Friday. The EC delegation feels that VAT implementation will not be an easy task for ITA. The EC delegation stressed that it will donate over 1200 computers and equipment to ITA BIH. |
| RSNA session
| RTRS – The RS National Assembly adopted the draft law on state apartments that have no occupancy holder rights. The RSNA also adopted the amendments to the law on privatisation-investment funds and management societies. RS Finance Minister Svetlana Cenic stated that these amendments will have positive effects on the increase of trade of funds shares and efficient management of funds portfolio. RS NA members also discussed the report on 2004 budget execution. SNSD had objections to doubling of certain items in the report and financing of private banks from budget resources. SRS feels that the report is one month overdue. Milan Lazic from SRS stated that the income from excise tax has been reduced. Pink, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Draft law on state apartments that have no occupancy holders’ rights adopted’ not signed, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Smaller commission-fees to societies in charge of managing funds’ by P. Klincov. |
| Reactions on report on poverty in BiH
| Hayat by Semsudin Skejic – The delegates of the BiH House of Representatives and BiH House of Peoples discussed on Thursday’s session the report on implementation of the action plan of the BiH Midterm Development Strategy for the period August 2003 – March 2005. According to the report, the economic situation in BiH is better than it was in the past. “We all know that poverty in BiH has not decreased and the life standard in BiH has not increased”, stated professor at the Faculty of Economy and delegate in the BiH Parliament, Azra Hadziahmetovic. “We are not here to fix up some things or to make them worse, but to analyze them on the basis of professional and available data”, Zlatko Hurtic, Advisor for economic issues to the BiH Council of Ministers Chair said. He added that it is possible that there were some mistakes in the report. |
Miscellaneous | |
| 4 non-Bosniak inmates in Zenica prison stopped hunger strike
| BHT 1, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘4 prisoners from Zenica stopped hunger strike’ not signed, Oslobodjenje cover pg splash and pg 3 ‘4 prisoners stopped hunger strike’ by E. Beslic, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Convicts stopped hunger strike’ by R.C. – 4 non-Bosniak inmates in Zenica prison, who have been on hunger strike for 24 days, accepted the recommendation of European Human Rights Court to stop the strike. |
| DA on lack of passports in Sarajevo
| Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ‘Tumult because of passports’ and pg 10 ‘There are no more passports in Sarajevo Canton!?’ by A. Delic – Commenting on the information that there are no more passports in Sarajevo, BiH Minister of Civil Affairs Safet Halilovic stated that this is a consequence of the State Border Service instruction according to which all children from BiH must have passports. Halilovic added that there are thousands requests for issuing of passports and according to him it is not possible to react to all demands in one day. According to Halilovic, another 50 000 passports were ordered which should arrive on time. |