March / June 1998

• The Common Council of Municipalities in its press release condemns removing of Serbian flags from certain institutions in Vukovar, namely Workers' Home in Borovo Naselje, which has been done by Ministry of Internal Affairs' officials, finding the act to be "direct violation of Constitutional Law on human rights and freedoms and on rights of ethnical and national communities or minorities in the Republic of Croatia"
  
  
• The Socialdemocratic Party of Croatia, Croatian Party of Rights, Croatian Pure Party of Rights and non-governmental organisations Croatian Law Center and Croatian Helsinki Committee strongly condemn Government's Moratorium on public assemblies in Croatian Danube area, finding it unlawful and unconstitutional
  
  
• Tim Guldimann, the head of the OESS Mission in Croatia is unsatisfied with Croatian document on return of fled Serbs into Croatia, whose right on return can not be conditioned by anything because the return is an individual right and as such can not depend on other conditions.
  
  
• The Council of Jewish Municipality in Zagreb condemned antisemit text in "Vjesnik" in which historic Mladen Ivezić calls upon history students on the Faculty of Philosophy, Zagreb University, to boycot non-Croat teachers, i.e. Jews who, in his opinion, "should not teach Croatian history".
  
  
• The mayority of party leaders and several trade-unions find that the proposal given by Municipal Authorities on forbidding of public gathering on some of main squares breaks the Law on Gathering and Constitutional citizens' right on public gathering and peaceful protest.
  
  
• The president of Serbian People's Party Milan Đukić critisez the Croatian Government's document on return of fled Serbs in whics Serbs are treated as emigrants, and not as refugees.
  
  
• The OESS Office in Zagreb finds school text-books on history, literature and geograpyh exclusively oriented to Croatia and Croats, intolerant towards the national communities and minorities, mostly Serbs, for which are often used words barbarians, uncivilised, brutal…
  
  
• The Action of Socialdemocrats of the Croatia protests because of the incomplete information given by Croatian Television from Commemorative Assembly held in the area of former ustaša's camp Jasenovac, and doubts sincerity of ruling party when remembering the victims of the fascism.
  
  
• The American Committee for Protection of Journalists expressed its concern due to prosecutions against independent newspapers in Croatia ("which are mostly pressed by state officials and individuals closely related to the government and ruling party") and judges that the freedom of the press is violated and the international obligation of Croatia to ensure free and safe work for journalist's is neglected in that way.
  
  
• PhD. Milorad Pupovac, the President of Serbian People's Council, considers the proposition given by Croatian Party of Rights on holding the referendum on return of citizens of the Republic of Croatia of Serbian nationality unconstitutional and in discordance with basic acts of international law and the principles of the international organisations in which Croatia is full member.
  
  
• Vesna Kanižaj , the president of the Independent Trade-union of Employees in Secondary Schools in the Republic of Croatia stated that the Officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs during public protest in Zagreb, on April, 9, 1998, had taken in Commissioners and trade-union members for informative talks.
  
  
• The data from Croatian Helsinki Committee give evidence on aggressive behaviour of immigrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina towards international human rights organisations' representatives in villages near Knin and point out to unacceptable behaviour of the highest representatives of Croatian authorities in Knin, especially the Mayor Josip Odak and his deputy Ivo Jozinović
  
  
• The Constitutional Court, the representatives of the pensioners' associations and the leaders of the opposite parties find certain provisions of the Law on Concordance of the Pensions unconstitutional and negative for equality and social position of retired persons.
  
  
• The ombudsman Ante Klarić regards that the Government has violated its authorities considering his work because some of Governments' comments on the Report referred to the Croatian Parliament are seen as orders and instructions, and the Law guaranties full independence to the Ombudsman and no one is allowed to give him orders and instructions for his work.
  
  
• The Socialdemocratic Party of the Croatia, Croatian Journalists' Association and Reporters without Borders condemn the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Traffic and Communications for closing down the independent local television station TV Moslavina and dispossessing of broadcasting licence, considering the act as keeping down of the freedom of the media.
  
  
• The president of the Serbian People's Party Milan Đukić finds that the intention of the Government's Obligatory Instructions for Individual Return of Displaced Persons is to make return to Croatia more difficult or impossible and therefore it is not in the function of rightful return.
  
  
• The American Ambassador in the Republic of Croatia William Montgomery accuses the campaign of the ruling part against the visit of the leaders of the opposition parties to Washington.
  
  
• The opposition parties and non-governmental organisations Croatian Law Center and the Civic Committee for Human Rights condemn assaults of the ruling party on the Constitutional Court and his Chairman, which breaks the principles of the juridical state and the democratic system of the Croatia.
  
  Prepared by: Nina Krajačić
  
  Centar za direktnu zaštitu ljudskih prava
  Center for Direct Protection of Human Rights
  1998