Post by uz on Dec 12, 2011 22:05:03 GMT -5
SPLIT -- The Croatian police arrested Tonèi Majiæ "and forced him to undergo psychiatric expertise for the second time this year", according to reports.
Majiæ heads the Dalmatian Committee for Human Rights. He was detained in Split on Monday.
Local NGOs fiercely reacted to this move against Majiæ, who informed the public about the crimes committed against Serb civilians and prisoners in the Split-based prison camp Lora during armed clashes in Croatia in the early 1990's and pointed to the responsibility of State Prosecutor Mladen Bajiæ who did not react adequately to the crimes in Lora.
Such behavior of competent institution towards human rights activists is unacceptable because it constitutes a serious violation of their rights, organizations gathered within the House of Human Rights said in an open letter sent to the media and competent institutions as a response to, as they said, the absurd and unacceptable behavior toward Majiæ.
NGOs believe that Tonèi Majiæ deserves respect and protection because he was brave enough to come forth and actively confront violation of human rights in Split in the 1990's, because of his long-lasting investigation into war crimes committed against civilians and prisoners of war in the military research center in Lora and because of the efforts he invested into ensuring that the crimes are prosecuted.
Recalling that Majiæ sent a torn Croatian flag to President Ivo Josipoviæ in October 2010 as a sign of protest because after 30 years, the Croatian judiciary still did not manage to resolve his damages trial which he initiated after the accident back in 1980 which disabled him to continue working as a reporter.
In February 2011, Majiæ sent another torn flag to Prosecutor Bajiæ, after which the Zagreb Prosecutor's Office launched criminal proceedings because insults to a national symbol are contrary to the law.
Meanwhile, Krešimir Devèiæ, spokesman for the Zagreb District Court, which issued the order, confirmed that Majiæ was ordered to brought in to the psychiatric hospital in Jankomir.
"He actually refuses to submit himself to the evaluation, so the only way was to bring him in. And that was not possible without his consent" - this spokesman was quoted as saying.
He further "did not wish to go into" whether the evaluation which could hold Majiæ detained for up to a month was a result of his conflict with Bajiæ.
Originally, Majiæ was sent to undergo the psychiatric evaluation in May, but he refused, saying it was no coincidence this was to take place in the same week that he was summoned to travel to Montenegro and hand over documents related to the massacre of Montenegrin nationals in Lora to the Montenegrin prosecution.
He also said that "Bajiæ's prosecution showed no interest in this case".
The guards who tortured civilians and killed two of them in Lora were sentenced to several years of imprisonment each, while some of them are still on the run.
According to reports, "a process is being prepared now" in the case of torture of prisoners, "most of them (brought in) from Bosnia in 1992". Some 1,000 prisoners went through the Lora camp, 60 of whom disappeared without a trace.
www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php?yyyy=2011&mm=12&dd=12&nav_id=77760
Majiæ heads the Dalmatian Committee for Human Rights. He was detained in Split on Monday.
Local NGOs fiercely reacted to this move against Majiæ, who informed the public about the crimes committed against Serb civilians and prisoners in the Split-based prison camp Lora during armed clashes in Croatia in the early 1990's and pointed to the responsibility of State Prosecutor Mladen Bajiæ who did not react adequately to the crimes in Lora.
Such behavior of competent institution towards human rights activists is unacceptable because it constitutes a serious violation of their rights, organizations gathered within the House of Human Rights said in an open letter sent to the media and competent institutions as a response to, as they said, the absurd and unacceptable behavior toward Majiæ.
NGOs believe that Tonèi Majiæ deserves respect and protection because he was brave enough to come forth and actively confront violation of human rights in Split in the 1990's, because of his long-lasting investigation into war crimes committed against civilians and prisoners of war in the military research center in Lora and because of the efforts he invested into ensuring that the crimes are prosecuted.
Recalling that Majiæ sent a torn Croatian flag to President Ivo Josipoviæ in October 2010 as a sign of protest because after 30 years, the Croatian judiciary still did not manage to resolve his damages trial which he initiated after the accident back in 1980 which disabled him to continue working as a reporter.
In February 2011, Majiæ sent another torn flag to Prosecutor Bajiæ, after which the Zagreb Prosecutor's Office launched criminal proceedings because insults to a national symbol are contrary to the law.
Meanwhile, Krešimir Devèiæ, spokesman for the Zagreb District Court, which issued the order, confirmed that Majiæ was ordered to brought in to the psychiatric hospital in Jankomir.
"He actually refuses to submit himself to the evaluation, so the only way was to bring him in. And that was not possible without his consent" - this spokesman was quoted as saying.
He further "did not wish to go into" whether the evaluation which could hold Majiæ detained for up to a month was a result of his conflict with Bajiæ.
Originally, Majiæ was sent to undergo the psychiatric evaluation in May, but he refused, saying it was no coincidence this was to take place in the same week that he was summoned to travel to Montenegro and hand over documents related to the massacre of Montenegrin nationals in Lora to the Montenegrin prosecution.
He also said that "Bajiæ's prosecution showed no interest in this case".
The guards who tortured civilians and killed two of them in Lora were sentenced to several years of imprisonment each, while some of them are still on the run.
According to reports, "a process is being prepared now" in the case of torture of prisoners, "most of them (brought in) from Bosnia in 1992". Some 1,000 prisoners went through the Lora camp, 60 of whom disappeared without a trace.
www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php?yyyy=2011&mm=12&dd=12&nav_id=77760