OSCE Mission says domestic war crimes trials have improved in Croatia but more progress needed
ZAGREB, 26 April 2005 - In a report on war crime trials in Croatian courts, the OSCE Mission to Croatia acknowledged recent improvements but concluded that additional reform is needed to provide for impartial domestic adjudication of war crimes in all Croatian courts.
The report, presented today by the Head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia, Ambassador Peter Semneby, and Croatia's Justice Minister, Vesna Skare Ozbolt, said that compared to previous years, the chances of a Serb war crime defendant receiving a fair trial before the Croatian judiciary have improved.
Ambassador Semneby noted a number of significant improvements, including less ethnic bias and a noticeable decrease in the number of Serbs convicted of war crimes; the elimination of large numbers of unsubstantiated proceedings against Serbs and a decrease of in absentia trials in Croatia.
"However, further efforts are needed to consolidate this progress," said the Head of Mission.
"These include steps to avoid unwarranted arrests and detention of Serbs, review of prior in absentia convictions and measures to address the continuing high error rate in trial court verdicts that results in reversal by the Supreme Court."
Ambassador Semneby also addressed the issue of security of witnesses and judicial personnel, adding that stronger action was needed against those who threaten or intimidate witnesses.
Given the importance of inter-state co-operation, the OSCE is organizing a conference on the island of Brijuni in June to enhance co-operation among institutions prosecuting war crimes in Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is in the process of transferring some of its cases to domestic courts and it is now up to Croatia to prove that it is ready and able to handle this responsibility," said Ambassador Semneby.
The full report can be found on the web-site of the OSCE Mission to Croatia at www.osce.org/croatia.
ZAGREB, 26 April 2004 - In a report on war crime trials in Croatian courts, the OSCE Mission to Croatia acknowledged recent improvements but concluded that additional reform is needed to provide for impartial domestic adjudication of war crimes in all Croatian courts.
The report, presented today by the Head of Mission, Ambassador Peter Semneby, and Croatia's Justice Minister, Vesna Skare Ozbolt, said that compared to previous years, the chances of a Serb war crime defendant receiving a fair trial before the Croatian judiciary have improved.
Ambassador Semneby noted a number of significant improvements, including less ethnic bias and a noticeable decrease in the number of Serbs convicted of war crimes, the elimination of large numbers of unsubstantiated proceedings against Serbs and a decrease of in absentia trials in Croatia.
"However, further efforts are needed to consolidate this progress," said the Head of Mission.
"These include steps to avoid unwarranted arrests and detention of Serbs, review of prior in absentia convictions and measures to address the continuing high error rate in trial court verdicts that results in reversal by the Supreme Court."
Ambassador Semneby also addressed the issue of security of witnesses and judicial personnel, adding that stronger action was needed against those who threaten or intimidate witnesses.
Given the importance of inter-state co-operation, the OSCE is organizing a conference on the island of Brijuni in June to enhance co-operation among institutions prosecuting war crimes in Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is in the process of transferring some of its cases to domestic courts and it is now up to Croatia to prove that it is ready and able to handle this responsibility," said Ambassador Semneby.
The full report can be found on the web-site of the OSCE Mission to Croatia at www.osce.org/croatia