BOSNIA COULD SIGN STABILIZATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH EUROPEAN UNION THIS WEEK

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 3,2007) – The EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said he will visit Bosnia today to discuss with the Bosnian Presidency, the Bosnian Government and the most influential party leaders in Bosnia whether there is sufficient agreement on the police reform to initial the Stabilization and Association Agreement between Bosnia and the European Union."This is a measure towards the normalisation of the political situation in the country," Rehn said.

Rehn's announcement, cited by EU Observer,pointed out that Bosnia needed functioning and efficient institutions on state level in order to cope with the key reforms and progress towards the EU membership.

The visit of The EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn to Bosnia was quickly organized after the Bosnian Parliament adopted on Friday new voting rules aimed at streamlining its work, opening the way to defuse the worst political crisis since the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.

Bosnia's leaders are set to agree today to push ahead with police reform, removing one obstacle on the road toward European Union membership.

Uniting Bosnia's ethnically divided police forces has been demanded by the European Union as a condition for closer ties. The first part of the reform would include strengthening central police bodies, such as forensic and training services, which span the ethnic divide. Further reform will take place after the Bosnian Constitution is changed.

If agreement on the police reform is reached today, the EU will move ahead with initialing a Stabilization and Association Agreement with Bosnia,an important pre-membership accord,later in the week. Bosnia remains the only Southeastern European state without such an agreement with the EU.

Bosnia's journey toward EU membership will remain long and arduous. Among the Southeastern European nations striving for accession to the 27-nation bloc, only Croatia may be ready to join before the end of the decade, according to an EU report released earlier this month. All the others will need at least five years to prepare themselves economically and politically.

On Friday, political representatives of the Serbians living in Bosnia dropped objections to a reform of the Bosnian State Parliament's voting rules, in a step toward ending the most serious political crisis in Bosnia since the end of the 1992-95 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.

The leaders of Bosnia's main political parties and the Bosnian State Parliament agreed to support the reform, which was drawn up by the International community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak.

The reforms will change the way a quorum is calculated, to make it more difficult for legislators and cabinet officers to block action simply by not showing up.That tactic was used frequently by the political representatives of the Serbians living in Bosnia, who oppose a stronger Bosnian State Government out of concern it would erode the powers of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia the "RS".

BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY RATIFIED AGREEMENT BETWEEN BOSNIA AND EU ON RELAXING VISA REGIME

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 3,2007) – The Bosnian Presidency ratified at an emergency session in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo the Agreement between Bosnia and the European Union on relaxing the visa regime and the Agreement between Bosnia and the EU on the readmission of persons who do not have legal residence, the Bosnian Presidency stated.

The Bosnian Parliment's House of Representatives unanimously ratified on Friday both agreements between Bosnia and the European Union.

The visa relaxations will take effect on January 1 of next year.

BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT TO HOLD EMERGENCY SESSION TODAY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 3,2007) – Bosnia's Prime Minister in resignation Nikola Spiric will call an emergency session of the Bosnian Government today for the purpose of verification of the Mostar Declaration Action Plan, Aleksandar Obradovic, Media Advisor to Nikola Spiric told Bosnian media yesterday.

The presidents of Bosnia's six most influential political parties adopted a declaration on implementation of police reforms in the southern Bosnian City of Mostar on October 28.

The declaration is expected to remove obstacles for to the initialing and signing of a pre-membership agreement between Bosnia and the European Union.

SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF REFORMED BOSNIAN ARMY MARKED IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 3,2007) – Reform in the defence sector is the most important reform implemented at the state level in Bosnia since the signing of the Dayton Agreement. This was stated at a press conference in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo organised on the occasion of the Second Anniversary of the newly-reformed Bosnian Army.

The Bosnian Defence Minister Selmo Cikotic, his deputies Marina Pendes and Igor Crnadak and the Commander of the Bosnian Army Colonel General Sifet Podzic underlined the importance of defence reform and the fulfilment of conditions towards full membership in NATO.

They said that defence reform stands as testimony that the perspective of Bosnia, its peoples and citizens, lies in the development of state institutions capable of leading them into the family of prosperous countries, i.e. membership in NATO and the EU.

The senior Bosnian defence officials stressed that the road towards the EU leads through NATO and that the application for membership in NATO is submitted by the state, not its armed forces.

They said that it is therefore necessary to overcome the present political crisis in Bosnia as soon as possible so that institutions that are involved in creating conditions for membership in Euro-Atlantic structures can start carrying out their obligations.

Commenting on the political crisis in Bosnia, they said that it did not affect the situation in or the functioning of the Bosnian defence institutions.

Responding to questions concerning the situation in Bosnia and even the possibility of a new war, the senior Bosnian defence officials stressed that the security situation in Bosnia is stable and that all analyses show that there is no risk of a new conflict.

There are great expectations from the upcoming NATO Summit in Bucharest at which all efforts made so far should be acknowledged and Bosnia encouraged to intensify dialogue with NATO, the Bosnian defence officials stated at the press conference.

SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MITAR RASEVIC'S DEFENCE TEAM TO PRESENT EVIDENCE THIS WEEK BEFORE BOSNIAN STATE COURT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 3,2007) - The Defence team representing Serbian war criminal Mitar Rasevic will start to present its evidence by examining the indictee before the Bosnian State Court.

This week, 33 indictees are due to appear before the War Crimes Chamber of the Bosnian State Court.The Bosnian State Court considers Serbian war criminals Mitar Rasevic and Savo Todovic responsible for the maltreatment of Bosnian civilians detained in the Foca concentration camp from 1992 to 1994,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Serbian war criminal Mitar Rasevic will be examined tomorrow,on Tuesday, December 4. His defence team will start its evidence presentation process by examining him. The defence attorney has announced that he will need three days for the presentation of evidence.

Today, December 3 the prosecution will continue presenting evidence against Serbian war criminal Milorad Trbic, charged with genocide committed by the /Serbian aggressor in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica. The indictment alleges that Trbic was a member of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS) and that he participated in the mass murder of 10,000 Bosnian civilians in July 1995.

On the same day, the defence teams continue presenting evidence at the trials of Croatian war criminal Zdravko Mihaljevic, a former member of the fascist Croatian aggressor's formations who is charged with crimes committed in the Bosnian village of Tulice during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia in the early 1990's, and Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek who is charged with having committed rape and murder of Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The trial of Serbian war criminals Mirko Todorovic and Milos Radic is due to continue today. The Bosnian State Prosecutor considers them to be responsible for the murder of a group of Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian village of Borkovac in 1992.

Former members of the fascist Croatian aggressor's formations Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic, who are all charged with the murder, beating and rape of Bosnian civilians detained in the Vojno concentration camp during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia in the early 1990's, are due to appear before the Bosnian State Court on December 3 and 5, when the Bosnian State Prosecutor will continue presenting evidence.

On December 4 and 6, the prosecution is due to continue presenting its evidence against Serbian war criminals Zdravko Bozic, Mladen Blagojevic, Zeljko Zaric and Zoran Zivanovic , former members of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS) who are charged with having committed crimes against humanity.

According to the official timetable of the Bosnian State Court, the trial of Croatian war criminal Pasko Ljubicic is due to continue on Wednesday and Friday. The former member of the fascist Croatian aggressor's formations is charged with having ordered and participated in attacks on Bosnian civilians in the Bosnian towns of Busovaca, Vitez and the surrounding villages in 1993,during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia.

Defence witnesses called by the legal team of Milos Stupar, one of the 11 persons charged with genocide in Srebrenica, will testify on December 5 and 6 next week.

A discussion on the start of the defence evidence presentation process at the trial of Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko Knezevic will take place before the Bosnian State Court at the next hearing scheduled on December 6. The indictees are charged with having committed crimes in concentration camps in Prijedor in 1992,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The trial of Serbian war criminals Ranko and Rajko Vukovic continues on Friday, December 7. They are charged with having committed the murder of two Bosnian civilians in Podkolun village near the eastern Bosnian town of Foca when they were members of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS).

At that hearing, Serbian war criminal Ranko Vukovic's defence attorney will cross-examine protected witness,a Bosnian woman who has accused the indictee of having raped her.

VOJNO CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVOR TESTIFIED ABOUT RAPES OF BOSNIAN WOMEN BY THE FASCIST CROATIAN AGGRESSOR

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 3,2007) - A Vojno concentration camp survivor told the Bosnian State Court how the Bosnian women detained by the fascist Croatian aggressor in the Vojno concentration camp, including her daughter, were raped.

At the trial of four former members of the fascist Croatian aggressor's formations protected Prosecution witness spoke about the Vojno concentration camp near the southern Bosnian city of Mostar, where her daughter survived rape.

"Guard Rudo Ramic asked my daughter to leave the room in which we stayed. I begged him to take me as well, but he did not allow me to go. Later on, when she came back, she cried, screamed, pulled her hair and said she would jump into a river," said the protected witness, adding that her daughter told her that she "was raped by a person named Dragan Skobic".

The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges Croatian war criminals Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic, as former members of the fascist Croatian aggressor's formations, with responsibility for the happenings in the Vojno concentration camp, in which Bosnian men, women and children were detained during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia in the early 1990's.

The indictment alleges that detained Bosnian civilians were beaten, maltreated,forced to perform hard labour,murdered and raped by the fascist Croatian aggressor.

In early September 1993 the Croatian aggressor's soldiers came and forced us to leave our apartment in Mostar, which was situated on the west bank of the Neretva river, said the protected witness, adding that she was taken to Vojno concentration camp, together with 18 other Bosnian civilians, her daughter and her 72-year-old mother.

The protected witness said she saw when a Bosnian woman was taken away by the fascist Croatian aggressor's soldiers from the room in which they were detained.

She also stated that, one occasion Croatian war criminals Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and a person known as Jez were present when some Bosnian women were taken out.

Brekalo introduced himself and asked a Bosnian woman, who was holding her child, to go out with him. When she said she could not go because of the child, he threw the child on the ground and dragged her out. When she returned later on, she was crying. When they went to the toilet together, she told my daughter that she had been raped, said witness.

Speaking about Croatian war criminal Mirko Vracevic, the witness said that he was a guard and that he "touched her daughter's neck with a knife on two occasions". However, he did not hurt her because a guard known as Kuna stopped him. "Vracevic did not maltreat me, but I heard he did maltreat witness AM, although I do not know what exactly he did to her," said witness.

The trial of Croatian war criminals Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic is due to continue before the Bosnian State Court today, December 3, when three more witnesses will be examined.

BOSNIAN STATE COURT ISSUED AN ARREST WARRANT FOR SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL NEDJO ZELJAJA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 3,2007) – The Bosnian State Court has issued an arrest warrant for Serbian war criminal Nedjo Zeljaja, who is charged, together with Serbian war criminals Ratko Bundalo and Djordjislav Askraba, with having committed crimes in the Bosnian town of Kalinovik during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

As per a motion filed by the Bosnian State Prosecutor, the custody period has been extended for Serbian war criminals Ratko Bundalo and Djordjislav Askraba until the completion of the main trial.

The indictment, which was confirmed on November 28, alleges that there is grounded suspicion that in the period between April and September 1992,in the early stages of the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia,Askraba was a member of the genocidal Serbian aggressor's formations and performed the duties of warden at the Barutni magacin concentration camp in the Bosnian town of Kalinovik.

Serbian war criminal Nedjo Zeljaja was arrested by the Bosnian authorities on August 28, 2007. Three days later he was released from custody, but certain prohibiting measures were pronounced against him.Serbian war criminals Ratko Bundalo and Djordjislav Askraba have been held in custody since their arrests on August 29 and August 31.

BOSNIAN STATE PROSECUTOR COMPLETED PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCE AGAINST FOUR SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 3,2007) – Almost a year since the beginning of the process, the Bosnian State Prosecutor completed the presentation of evidence against Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko Knezevic charged with crimes committed in Omarska and Keraterm concentration camps during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

With the presentation of transcripts of statements given by six witnesses and other evidence", the Bosnian State Prosecutor completed the evidence presentation process against the four Serbian war criminals.

"The witnesses, whose statements the prosecution wants to include as material evidence, have already been cross-examined and directly examined. The Bosnian State Court admits the proposal, but it will express itself on the value of these pieces of evidence at a later stage," said Saban Maksumic, chairman of the Trial Chamber.

Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko Knezevic are charged with the murder, rape, torture and beating of Bosnian civilians and Croatians living in Bosnia detained by the genocidal Serbian aggressor in Omarska and Keraterm concentration camps in the course of 1992.

The presented transcripts contain statements given by witnesses to various local and international organisations in the course of the investigation.

In the course of its evidence presentation process, which has lasted for nearly a year, the Prosecution has examined 45 witnesses and presented 201 pieces of material evidence.

The next hearing is due to take place before the Bosnian State Court on December 6, 2007.

LAJCAK WELCOMES ADOPTION OF BOSNIAN STATE PARLIAMENT'S RULES OF PROCEDURE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 3,2007) – The International Community's High Representative and the EU Special Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak welcomed the decisions of the Bosnian Parliament to adopt Rules of Procedure which are in accordance with the Bosnian Constitution.

”This is a good day for Bosnia and its citizens. Agreement achieved between the parliamentary houses is in accordance with the demands I set October 19”, Lajcak said.

Amendments that have been adopted are completely in accordance with the Bosnian constitution and the possibility of parliamentary blockade has been eliminated "as much as possible",he said.

”This agreement enables the institutions of Bosnia to adopt the Police Reform Implementation Action Plan in an official procedure. That would bring Bosnia back to the European integrations’ road”, Lajcak said.