Monday, May 12, 2008

BOSNIAN PRESIDENT HARIS SILAJDZIC VISITS LIBYA

TRIPOLI, Libya (May 12,2008) - The Bosnian President Haris Silajdzic is in an official visit to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from May 11 till May 14,the Bosnian State Presidency announced.

President Silajdzic is accompanied by a Bosnian bussines delegation comprising of directors of several Bosnian companies : MIMS, Bosnalijek, Energoinvest, Promo Donji Vakuf, DITA Tuzla, Integral Inženjering, ENGO Bihać, Bosna ADS, Širbegović grupa, Giprom Tuzla, OKI Sarajevo, Tehnograd Company Tuzla.

During the visit ,the Bosnian President Haris Silajdzic will meet with the Libyan President Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi.Also,the Bosnian business delegation is scheduled to have numerous meetings with the Libyan business officials.
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IRAN AND BOSNIA TO PLAY FRIENDLY MATCH ON MAY 26

TEHRAN, Iran (May 12,2008) - Iran's National Football Team is to play a friendly match against Bosnia before it faces the United Arab Emirates in their World Cup qualifiers.

The match will be held at Tehran's Azadi stadium on May 26, said Mohammad Mansour Azimzadeh, a senior official from Iran's Football Federation (IFF).

Bosnia was selected out of the three main choices including Guinea and Angola, he added.

The Iranian team is scheduled to play against the United Arab Emirates on June 2.Iran is in Group 5 of Asia's World Cup qualifying tournament with Kuwait, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.
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CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVORS HELD A PEACEFUL PROTEST IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 12,2008) – At the plateau in front of the FBiH entity government building in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, a one hour peaceful protest was held by the Bosnian Association of the Concentration Camp Survivors asking for resolving of their status as victims of torture during the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.

They demanded from the FBiH entity government to change current laws on protection of war veterans and civilian victims of war and to enable establishing the level of at least 60% of invalidity and adequate rights for those which fall under this status, such as former concentration camp detainees.

According to Murat Tahirovic, president of the Bosnian Association of the Concentration Camp Survivors, if the FBiH entity government within 30 days does not respond to these demands, protests shall continue and they are not responsible for possible consequences.

No one from the FBiH entity government spoke at this gathering stated the protesters.

Protest went on peacefully with the Bosnian anthem at the beginning.The Bosnian Association of the Concentration Camp Survivors has about 50.000 members.
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BOSNIAN STATE PROSECUTOR DEMANDS A 25 YEARS PRISON SENTENCE FOR SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL ZELJKO LELEK

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 12,2008) – In its closing arguments on Friday the Bosnian State Prosecutor demanded a 25-year prison sentence for Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek, a former member of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia, accused of committing war crimes in the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad in 1992,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The Prosecution argued that clear evidence of Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek's guilt had been established.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor said Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek had shown "extraordinary persistence, cruelty and lack of emotion" while committing these war crimes against the Bosnian civilians, and that he had not shown any remorse for his acts.

"The tears that he showed during the trial he justified with the memories of his children and having a hard time in detention," she said, adding that "this proves that he is capable of regret only for himself, and that speaks enough about his character."

The Bosnian State Prosecutor drew attention to all four items of indictment by which Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek is charged: murder, expulsion, rape and torture of Bosnian civilians in Visegrad. Lelek is accused of carrying out these crimes in 1992 together with Serbian war criminal Milan Lukic.

"Witnesses talked about the expulsion of the Bosnian population ...and about screams that they heard form the direction of Visegrad Bridge.

These are just part of the testimony given by witnesses who had an opportunity to feel this horror in their own skin," the Bosnian State Prosecutor said. She said the accused knew what was going on in Visegrad and that he "actively participated in crimes."

The Bosnian State Prosecutor also noted that numerous witnesses had identified Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek as one of those who took away their loved ones and that there was no doubt in regard to the identity of the indictee.

"Protected witnesses spoke about rape in Vilina Vlas and they said that they where raped by the indictee.Their testimony was at odds with statements made during the investigation but these differences are not factual. The witnesses are sure that they were raped by Zeljko Lelek, and whether this was during the first, second or third day, and which one he was in the line is totally unimportant," the Bosnian State Prosecutor said.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor said the differences in details of testimonies were a "logical circumstance of the time that has passed." and that the differences prove that the witnesses had no previous agreement about the testimony they would give, and that they disprove the indictee's contention that there was a conspiracy against him.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor argued that none of the defence witnesses had provided a solid alibi for the Serbian war criminal, and that most had had an interest in testifying in his favour "since some of them also participated in these crimes."

Defence counsel will give closing arguments before the Bosnian State Court on May 16.
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