Sunday, September 9, 2007

EURO 2008 : PENALTY GIVES HUNGARY 1-0 WIN AGAINST BOSNIA

SZEKESFEHERVAR, Hungary (September 9,2007) - Hungary put a significant dent in Bosnia's qualification hopes with this victory at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium,yesterday.

A Zoltan Gera penalty gave Hungary a 1-0 victory over Bosnia in their Euro 2008 Group C qualifier.Gera converted from the spot in the 39th minute after striker Robert Feczesin was felled in the area.

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Zoltan Gera's first-half penalty proved the decisive moment, but he was not the only hero for Hungary.

Bosnia's Zlatan Muslimovic was denied by the impressive Marton Fulop, who pulled off a string of fine saves to give Hungary the points.

Bosnia needed full points as they continued to battle, starting the day five points behind group leaders Greece alongside Turkey and Norway.

The match started quietly with the only notable efforts in the first half-hour coming when Tamas Hajnal's inswinging corner was punched away by Adnan Guso only for Hajnal to drill over from 18 yards.

Muslimovic then had a right-footed strike from 12 yards out parried wide by Fulop.

It was Hungary were given the opportunity to break the deadlock when Ivan Radeljic fouled Robert Feczesin in the area.

Italian referee Matteo Trefoloni pointed to the spot and issued Radeljic a yellow card. Gera stepped up and smashed home the penalty.

Muslimovic was twice more denied by Fulop. The goalkeeper tipped a close-range header over the bar and followed it up by collecting confidently from the resulting the corner.

Muslimovic drilled in another right-footed strike from 12 yards but Fulop foiled him again, securing a half-time lead for Hungary.

Guso denied Hungary a second with a comfortable save from Feczesin's 18-yard strike.

The Bosnian keeper was then called upon again when Hajnal drilled in a 20-yard effort but Guso was equal to the strike.

Fulop further frustrated Muslimovic when the striker drilled in another effort from the edge of the area forcing the Hungary keeper into a fine save.

Hungary: Fulop, Vanczak, Vasko, Juhasz, Szelesi, Vass, Tozser,Gera, Hajnal (Csizmadia 72), Dzsudzsak (Halmosi 90),Feczesin (Filkor 89).

Subs Not Used: Balogh, Buzsaky, Leandro, Toth.

Booked: Juhasz, Vasko.

Goals: 1-0: Gera (39', pen.)

Bosnia : Guso, Berberovic, Bajic, Radeljic,Maletic (Bozic 79), Rahimic, Misimovic, Hrgovic (Custovic 84),Muslimovic, Ibisevic (Dzeko 67), Blatnjak.

Subs Not Used: Mujkic, Damjanovic, Nadarevic, Zeba.

Booked: Misimovic, Bajic, Radeljic.

Att: 10,000

Ref: Matteo Trefoloni (Italy).

BOSNIA BLASTS SERBIAN COURT DECISIONS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 9,2007) - The Bosnian Minister Of Justice Bariša Čolak has strongly criticized Serbia’s War Crimes Chamber.Čolak said it was unacceptable and illegal that a Serbian court dispatched subpoenas to Bosnian citizens directly, calling for their testimonies in the case of a Bosnian citizen Ilija Jurišić.

Ilija Jurišić is a Bosnian patriot who participated in defending the Bosnian city of Tuzla from the Serbian aggressor,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggresion against Bosnia.Jurišić has been arrested by the Serbian aggressor and has been in a prison in Belgrade since 11 May 2007.

Čolak announced he would send a letter of protest and warning to the Serbian Foreign Ministry, pointing to a direct violation of not only the interstate agreement between Bosnia and Serbia on providing legal assistance, but the European convention on mutual assistance in criminal matters as well.

“My letter will not seek to bring tensions to our relations. Quite the contrary, our goal is to make our relations better, but for that to happen, similar incidents cannot be repeated,” he told Bosnian daily Dnevni Avaz.

According to Čolak, the agreement and the convention compelled the Serbian side to collaborate with Bosnian Ministry Of Justice.

The Convention stipulates that subpoenas should be forwarded to a competent court in the other country that will arrange their delivery.

“It is forbidden (to Serbia) to directly summon witnesses (in Bosnia). The subpoenas from Serbia contained sanctions in the event of a witness refusing to comply and take the stand, which could not have happened, even though these sanctions have no legal bearing in Bosnia,” Colak explained.

Asked how the judiciary in Serbia obtained the addresses of Bosnian citizens listed as witnesses, Čolak replied that apart from speculation, he could not give a concrete answer, leaving the issue to Bosnia’s security and judicial systems.

This case is also known as "the Tuzla Column".The Serbian aggressor, with the active participation of Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) forces, seized about 70 per cent of Bosnia in the first few weeks of the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.JNA was totally controlled by Serbia and the role of the JNA in the early stages of the war was very important.

In May 1992,the JNA troops came under attack by the Bosnian Army as they were withdrawing from the Bosnian city of Tuzla and up to 200 JNA soldiers were reportedly killed and 140 JNA soldiers were taken prisoners by the Bosnian Army.

SCHWARZ-SCHILLING TO TEACH POLITICAL SCIENCE IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 9,2007) - The international community's former high representative in Bosnia, German diplomat Christian Schwarz-Schilling, said he will teach political science at a Sarajevo university.

Schwarz-Schilling concluded his term as the international community's high representative in Bosnia in June, but promised he would in some way remain engaged in the country.

He said Friday he had signed a contract with the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, a private university, to teach students political science and international relations as of October.

"For me, it is a very attractive opportunity to present my ideas and experiences to the young generation, which will have to lead this country in the future," he told press in Sarajevo.

Schwarz-Schilling resigned from the German government in 1992 in protest at Germany's inability to stop the fighting in former Yugoslavia.

He immediately became involved in delivering humanitarian aid to genocide victims in Bosnia, and then joined political efforts to bring an end to the Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.

Head of the university, Ejup Ganic, told reporters the new professor was "the best choice to teach our students about international relations and world politics."

"Our students are interested in how decisions are made in governments of strong countries like Germany," Ganic said.