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P R E S S R E L E A S E
Council of Europe�s Decision to admit Croatia is Outrageous
Council of Europe�s decision to admit Croatia as its 40th member on November 6th is outrageous says the International Crisis group (ICG). Hrair Balian, Director of the ICG Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said: "It is beyond comprehension that the Council of Europe could have admitted Croatia into the organisation, whose membership is predicated on respect for an internationally recognised standard of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, while the Tudjman Government allows indicted war criminals to live openly within its borders. This action of the Council of Europe is an outrage to the memories of the tens of thousands of people who were murdered, tortured, maimed or in other ways subjected to atrocities by Croat war criminals. There can be no justice, no reconciliation and thus no lasting peace until the indicted war criminals are arrested and prosecuted." BACKGROUND The Council of Europe�s Parliamentary Assembly had recommended on 24 April that Croatia be invited to join the organisation. That invitation was suspended several days later after the Croatian authorities took measures against the independent media and President Tudjman dissolved Zagreb�s City Assembly, in clear violation of commitments it had made to the Council of Europe. In May, a Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly concluded that the Croatian authorities had "acted in blatant disregard of their commitments". Dario Kordic and several other war criminals, charged with having committed and ordered atrocities against civilians on a massive scale, are living openly in Croatia. As of April, Kordic was living in a government-owned flat in Zagreb, regularly attended HDZ party meetings with top government officials, and even appeared on Croatian-controlled television (HRTV). He is regularly seen walking the streets of Zagreb. As of today, the only person indicted by the War Crimes Tribunal who has been arrested by the Croatian authorities is Zlatko Aleksovski; and, although he was arrested in June, the authorities have yet to turn him over to the Tribunal.
or contact Charles Radcliffe at ICG London on 0171-630-5673. You can send e-mail to ICG Bosnia here
The International Crisis Group is a private, multinational organisation created to reinforce the capacity and resolve of the international community to prevent crises arising from human causes. Members of the ICG board include former heads of state and government, foreign ministers, MPs and leading figures in business and the media. ICG is chaired by the former US Senate majority leader, George Mitchell. |