14 March 2005

Croatian Cooperation on War Crimes Tribunal Is Vital, U.S. Says
State's Connuck also discusses courts, election reform, refugees at OSCE

Although Croatian officials say they are stepping up efforts to locate fugitive war-crimes suspect General Ante Gotovia, “actually turning him over to the ICTY [International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia] will be the only way to demonstrate Croatia's intention to follow through on this issue,” U.S. diplomat Bruce Connuck told the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) March 10.

In remarks to the OSCE Permanent Council, Connuck also said the Croatian court system must prove itself to be “professional and unbiased” in order to to assume upcoming cases from the ICTY. He said the United States supports the suggestion that the OSCE monitor specific ICTY cases if they are transferred to Croatia.

Speaking in response to a report by Ambassador Peter Semneby, the outgoing head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia, Connuck praised Croatia for its progress on election reform, refugee returns, and working to end trafficking in persons. The OSCE mission has a mandate to provide assistance and expertise to Croatia on a wide range of issues such as democratization, human rights and refugee returns.

Connuck said the United States is concerned about a criminal libel case involving Croatian journalist Ljubica Letinic. “Journalists should not be subjected to such prosecutions and we hope that Croatia will decriminalize libel by removing it from the criminal code,” he said.

Following is Connuck’s statement:

(begin text)

United States Mission to the OSCE
http://www.usosce.gov/

RESPONSE TO HEAD OF THE OSCE MISSION IN CROATIA, AMBASSADOR PETER SEMNEBY

As delivered by Political Counselor Bruce Connuck
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
March 10, 2005

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would like to very warmly welcome Ambassador Semneby here, on what I understand will be, his last appearance in the PC as Head of Mission Croatia. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his fine work over the past several years.

I would also like to welcome Deputy Minister Vidosevic for his appearance together with Ambassador Semneby. It reflects the excellent relationship that has developed between the government of Croatia and the mission.

Croatia continues to make progress in several areas related to the mandate of the mission. Both rounds of the Presidential elections were declared by domestic observers to be free and fair. Some irregularities in the process have triggered a healthy debate in Croatia on continuing electoral reform. We support the mission and ODIHR [OSCE’S Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights] remaining engaged in assisting this process.

There continues to be some progress on refugee return. However, problems remain, particularly the actual implementation of the Government’s announced plans to provide housing solutions for former holders of Occupancy-Tenancy Rights as well as implementation of legislation and court actions. The recent Pizzeria Sara case noted by the mission is an example of unfair policies and apparently biased courts. Obstacles to sustainable return such as this must be removed.

We support the continued involvement of the High Commissioner on National Minorities and his recent trip to Croatia. Minority rights and refugee returns are inextricably linked, and more progress must be made in this regard, especially the "welcoming" of returnees by local Croat officials and communities.

The Croatian court system must prove itself professional and unbiased if it is to take over cases from the ICTY [International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]. We note ICTY Chief Prosecutor Del Ponte's correspondence with Ambassador Semneby concerning the possibility of the OSCE monitoring specific ICTY cases if they are transferred to Croatia, and we would support such an undertaking.

Continuing Croatian cooperation with ICTY is vital, in particular the need to locate and arrest fugitive General Gotovina. While we take note of recent statements by high-level government officials that measures to locate Gotovina are being stepped up, actually turning him over to the ICTY will be the only way to demonstrate Croatia's intention to follow through on this issue.

We are also concerned about a recent criminal libel case involving Croatian journalist Ljubica Letinic. Journalists should not be subjected to such prosecutions and we hope that Croatia will decriminalize libel by removing it from the criminal code.

I would like to thank the delegation of Croatia for circulating its government's three-year national program for the suppression of trafficking in persons and its action plan for 2005. In particular, the list of projects is comprehensive, and we welcome input from the OSCE Special Representative on combating this modern form of slavery, and whether the OSCE could be of assistance with any of these projects. We hope that Croatia will continue to update us on the progress of this very ambitious program.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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