14.12.1999

OHR BiH TV News Summary, 14 December 1999

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News Headlines

  • German President Johannes Rau visits BiH – report follows
  • Jelisic sentenced to 40 years in prison
  • Three BiH Electro-distribution workers killed in Hadzici land mine explosion
  • German President meets with BiH Presidency members and other high officials, no statements released to press
  • Leaders of BiH religious communities meet with German President, Rau to visit German SFOR camp in Rajlovac on Wednesday
  • Slovenian Government and BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations sign aid agreement for 3,175, 000 USD
  • BiH Council of Ministers fail to agree on Law for Council of Ministers
  • 18 day election campaign period commences in Croatia
  • World news
  • We will fight evictions by building flats, one priority is employment of war invalids – Bicakcic at war invalids’ assembly session in Tuzla
  • Zenica citizens association fights evictions
  • European Bank for Development and Reconstruction and Market Bank sign revolving credit agreement
  • British organised crime prevention unit donates $160,000 worth of equipment to BiH police
  • BiH Federation Minster for refugees and DP’s Sulejman Garib visits Srednja Turnova as returnees receive first construction materials
  • Ze-Do Canton President Salcinovic, Canton Finance Minister Babic and Head of PTT Fetic seriously injured in car accident near Travnik
  • BiH Foreign affairs and regional Eastern European environmental protection center sign agreement on cooperation
  • RS National Assembly to vote on legal solutions established by Government
  • Countries that accepted refugees should continue to provide refuge for those not willing to return home – UNHCR report
  • BOSS accuses Beslagic of war crimes
  • “RS Independent Social Democrats advocate full demilitarization of BiH, not just in Brcko area, issue of Brcko barracks and location of RS Army not a matter for RS National Assembly conclusions to arbitration decision, but matter for authority of High Representative” – Executive Board member Mitrovic (00:26)
  • Bjeljina ‘Bobar’ company to purchase barracks in Brcko or Bijeljina to establish management, insurance and computing university
  • Municipal Heads of Travnik, Novi Travnik, Busovaca, Vitez Knezevo, Celinac and Kotor Varos discuss reorganization of MND SW and Property Law implementation
  • Slovenian Secretary of State presents over 950,000 DM worth equipment to state hospital laundry and kitchen
  • 6, 000 Bosna-Podrinje Canton pupils out of school for second day due to general teachers’ strike
  • Irish Refugee Fund and UNICEF distribute clothes to Rakovica refugee camp for 180 children
  • Establishment of this strategy of vital importance – Petritsch opening BiH Federation RTV inaugural session in Sarajevo
  • Bosniak refugee returns to Veliki Dubovik and receives all pre-war assets entrusted to Serb neighbor
  • Barry attends OSCE Regional Board session in Zagreb
  • IC agrees with Croatian authorities on location and number of polling stations in BiH for Croatian elections – Domi
  • Petritsch confirms BiH Election Law is in accordance with BiH Constitution and international standards
  • PEC brings decision that illegal occupants of refugees’ property cannot be nominated as party candidates – Domi
  • Tuzla Association of Refugees addresses letter to Petritsch and Barry expressing bitterness regarding postponement of elections in Srebrenica and ask that decision be changed
  • Brcko Multiethnic Apartment Commission resolves 150 applications for return and started evictions of illegal occupants 14 days ago
  • SFOR to reduce supervision of BiH entity army exercises from 1st January
  • IPTF to deploy its staff to Srebrenica next week
  • RS Government determines RS budget
  • Laboratory for agricultural quality control opens in Gnojnice
  • Ze-Do Canton Association of War Veterans and with Seh-in Bank ensure 400,000 KM for employment of war invalids in Maglaj
  • Sarajevo Canton adopts law on activities of public companies
  • 150 missing Croats exhumed in Bugojno to-date – Jerko Radic
  • IMC penalizes NTV Banja Luka for 1,000 KM for violating IMC Code
  • Tuzla reconstructs part of public health care facility
  • Sports
  • Weather

News Summary

Jelisic sentenced to 40 years in prison

Goran Jelisic, alias ‘the Serb Adolph’ was sentenced to 40 years in prison, the longest ICTY sentence handed down so far. The sentence is based on Jelisic’s confessing to 13 murders in Brcko, which classifies as a crime against humanity and violation of the war code. Genocide charges were dismissed since the judges established that his actions as discriminatory. The panel of judges explained that “the circumstances of Jelisic’s crimes make them specially harsh and revolting. He was violent with the prisoners, beating them and killing them in cold blood.” Extenuating circumstances, his youth and confession, had no special bearing in the eyes of the court in comparison to the beastly and sadistic nature of Jelisic’s behaviour.

01:36

Zenica citizens association fights evictions

The human rights Citizens Association for protection against eviction of temporary flat occupants in Zenica has stood up to protect the Karalic family. OHR, OSCE and IPTF representatives supervised as police conducted Tuesday’s eviction when several hundred of Association members attempted to prevent it. UN spokesperson Douglas Hoffman complimented the police on their conduct during this legal eviction, saying he hopes that “this decisive action will not only enable other returns of legal flat owners, but will also serve as an example for other evictions throughout BiH.” Association President Ibrahim Delibasic said “we will take the same action whenever no alternative housing is provided.” The municipality service that issued the eviction warrant holds evidence of Karalic not being a refugee, but he claims that his previous residence is an uninhabitable ruin. The Association continues to back Karalic, demanding the urgent replacement of Ze-Do Canton Zenica Municipal and Internal Affairs officials. Following the arrest of 29 people, the authorized institutions will file complaints against the demonstrators for obstructing returns.

02:33

BOSS accuses Beslagic of war crimes

BOSS accused Head of Tuzla Municipality Selim Beslagic of committing war crimes. BOSS posters displayed across town on Tuesday say that Beslagic is, along with SDA personnel, responsible for opening of private jails, mass minority redundancies, legalization of war time brothels and forced mobilization of soldiers. In response, the Tuzla information center called the BOSS party action “the harshest action so far, similar to the lies produced by the Milosevic and Karadzic propaganda machines.”

00:34