19.01.1999

OHR BiH TV News Summary, 19 January 1999

BiH TV news brought 20-minute detailed coverage of the Bajram celebration throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Banja Luka and Bijeljina. RS Premier Dodik congratulated Bajram to all Moslems in the RS, on behalf of the Government and on his personal behalf.
20:00

After the Serbian police yesterday forcedly taken bodies of killed Albanians from the village of Racak, they transferred them to the Pristina hospital for autopsy. NATO Military Committee President General Naumann and Commander of the Alliance for Europe, Clark visited Belgrade, but details of their meeting with Milosevic were not published. The Yugoslav Government announced OSCE Mission Head in FRY Persona non grata, but according to unofficial information, this decision will be reconsidered.
3:00

Decision of the RS Government to allow more than 500.000 Marks for preparation of nine regulatory plans and allocation of 2150 construction locations to Serb citizens who are inhabited in Brcko caused concern of Bosniaks and Croats from the multi-ethnic administration in Brcko. In this regard, Brcko Supervisor Farrand made a comment on this decision and said that in two occasions when he met with Dodik, Farrand told him that all allocations of land will be suspended until he is fully informed on the plan and allocation of the land. Farrand also emphasised that Government Co-president Kremenovic informed him in December more detailed on this case, and that this issues surely has to be an item on the agenda of the multi-ethnic administration. Farrand also added that this decision should be no reason for concern, and that it is fully under control.
2:00

The Hague Tribunal Head Prosecutor, Arbour said in an interview for Parisian “Liberation” that FRY President Milosevic, Croatian President Tudjman and member of BiH Presidency, Izetbegovic as well as other civilian officials from the year of 1993 can also be punished and that no one is out of reach of the international justice. Arbour said that the only issue is if there is enough evidence to determine their responsibility. Speaking of Srebrenica, Arbour said that the Hague Tribunal is focused on through investigation of crimes, which could not be committed without approval from the highest and military officials.
1:00

At the press conference in Sarajevo, representatives of the International Community severely condemned the criminal procedure and the verdict of the Municipal Court in Bijeljina against Behudin Husic, Nedzad Hasic and Ahmo Harbas, and demanded from court authorities in the RS determinate action in order to finally complete this court farce. UN Special Envoy, Rehn also condemned the case of three imprisoned Srebrenica citizen and characterised it as the court farce. HR Westendorp demanded that recommendations of ombudsmen be fully implemented. Westendorp will insist that the RS Supreme Court commence resolving of this case as soon as possible and the International Community representative will carefully monitor this procedure. Westendorp also said that the complaint, submitted to the Supreme Court offered second chance for the RS to stop the injustice.
2:00

OHR spokesperson Stiglmeyer refuted information published in Croat press that national rights of Croat people in Bosnia have been derogated by the Dayton Agreement, published as reaction to problems about HRT re-broadcasting in BiH. Rights of Croat people in BiH are guaranteed by the BiH Constitution, Federation of BiH Constitution and by number of international conventions, built in the DPA, Stiglemeyer said.
1:00