BOSNIAN PARLIAMENT REJECTS REPORT ON POLICE REFORM

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March,20,2008) – The Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives did not adopt negative reports of the Bosnian Parliament's Commission for Defence and Security on two draft laws of the Bosnian police reform.

These are draft laws on independent and supervisory bodies of police structure in Bosnia and draft law on direction for coordination of police bodies and agencies for support to the Bosnian police structure in Bosnia.

These propositions were returned to the Commission to reconsider them and to make new reports.Delegates adopted the conclusion according to which the Bosnian Parliament's Commission for Defence and Security should hold a session within 48 hours and within this deadline a session of House of Representatives should be held in order to review new reports.

With this decision to reject the negative report about the police reform laws, the Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives has sent a clear signal that it wants a chance to adopt the laws”, the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak said , calling that a welcome decision.

He pointed out that the EU future of Bosnia lies in the hands of the Bosnian Parliament's Commission for Defence and Security. The decision about Bosnia making a decisive step towards the EU and signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) is up to them, Lajcak said.
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DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST BUILDING OF A MONUMENT TO SERBIAN FASCISTS WILL BE ORGANIZED IN ZLATISTE ON APRIL 6

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March,20,2008) – The Bosnian Social Democratic Union (SDU) Party Presidency adopted yesterday text of the Initiative for peaceful demonstrations against the construction of a monument (a cross, 26 meters high and 18meters wide) to the genocidal Serbian aggressor's soldiers in Zlatiste,near Sarajevo.

The demonstrations should be held April 6. In the following few days, text of the Initiative will be distributed to the citizens of Sarajevo stating that this occasion is a test of patriotism for all Bosnian patriots, especially the Sarajevo citizens.

”Trebevic and Zlatiste need to stay a place of assembling of all the peoples, not a place of divisions”, the Initiative states.

The SDU Party calls on the Bosnian citizens to peacefully demonstrate on April 6 in Zlatiste. Demonstrations will be organized unless the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak prevents the monument construction.
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BRITISH MINISTER FOR EUROPE JIM MURPHY MET WITH BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY MEMBERS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March,20,2008) - The President of the Bosnian State Presidency Haris Silajdžić and the Presidency Members Nebojša Radmanović and Željko Komšić met with Jim Murphy, the British Minister for Europe.

“This is my first visit as a Minister for Europe to a country that is not a European Union member. I assure you that the government of Great Britain supports EU enlargement, because large EU with various cultures strengthens EU and it strengthens Great Britain. That is our national interest, but that is also a European interest”, said Minister Jim Murphy.

He emphasized that Great Britain, as he said, would herald EU enlargement and would support Bosnia’s entry in EU. On behalf of the government of Great Britain, Minister Murphy also offered a practical support to Bosnia in its everyday activities on its way to EU and signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement. He stressed out that Great Britain is a true friend of Bosnia.

“I am glad that the government of Great Britain attentively monitors developments in Bosnia and your first visit to our country is a sign that we are an important issue in the region. I am happy that Great Britain supports EU enlargement”, the Bosnian President Haris Silajdžić emphasized.

“Bosnia needs stability and prosperity and I believe that European Union needs Bosnia. Your good will is very important to us in that path”, said President Silajdžić.

According to a member of the Bosnian Presidency Željko Komšić, it is an indisputable fact that all Bosnian citizens support Bosnia’s entry in EU. As he said, Bosnia’s membership in NATO and EU is a permanent stability for the country and the rest of the southeastern Europe and it would contribute to the region’s and Bosnia’s development.

A member of the Bosnian Presidency Nebojša Radmanović expressed his pleasure with Great Britain’s determination to enlarge EU and said Bosnia’s goal is entering European Union.

The British Minister for Europe Jim Murphy stated that the EU should be enlarged and Bosnia should be in the EU; he said that Great Britain wants the continuation of NATO enlargement as well, because NATO is important for world security.

“Great Britain appreciates every effort of Bosnia leading to reform on its way to fulfill conditions for Bosnia’s entry in the European Union, from public sector reform, administrative reforms, police reform to cooperation with the ICTY”, said Minister Murphy.
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SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MOMIR SAVIC PLEADED NOT GUILTY BEFORE BOSNIAN STATE COURT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March,20,2008) - At the plea hearing before the Preliminary Hearing Judge of the Section I for War Crimes of the Bosnian State Court of ,the accused,a former member of the genocidal Serbian aggressor's formations,Momir Savic,pleaded not guilty yesterday to all counts of the indictment.

Serbian war criminal Momir Savic is charged with the criminal offence of crimes against humanity.According to the charges in the Indictment, Serbian war criminal is accused of persecution, murder, imprisonment, rape, torture and other inhuman acts against Bosnian civilians in and around the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad from April to September 1992.

He was a member of a genocidal paramilitary unit of the Serbians living in Bosnia formed when the Uzice Corps of the Serbian aggressor's formations from Serbia attacked Bosnia in the early 1990's.

Serbian war criminal Momir Savic and several other Serbian aggressor's soldiers took 10 Bosnian civilians from their homes in the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad in May 1992, tortured them and then murdered them.

Serbian war criminal Momir Savic took part in other, similar war crimes and once, "when one Bosnian civilian tried to run away, shot at him ... and deprived him of his life," the indictment said.

Serbian war criminal Momir Savic is also accused of repeatedly raping a Bosnian woman in her house from June to September 1992.

Serbian war criminal Momir Savic is also accused in the indictment of taking part in the torture and the mass murder of Bosnian civilians from villages around the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad, and of plundering and burning their houses during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.
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BOSNIAN STATE PROSECUTOR HAS FILED AN INDICTMENT AGAINST SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MLADEN DRLJACA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March,20,2008) – The Bosnian State Prosecutor has filed an indictment yesterday against Serbian war criminal Mladen Drljaca (50) for his participation in the war crimes committed against Bosnian civilians from Bosanska Krupa and submitted it to the Bosnian State Court for confirmation.

Serbian war criminal Mladen Drljaca is charged with crimes against humanity committed in 1992,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

According to the Prosecution's announcement, Serbian war criminal Mladen Drljaca is considered responsible for "the prosecution, murder, torture, forcible deportation, unlawful detention in concentration camps, forcesdlabour and other inhumane acts" against Bosnian civilians from the Bosanska Krupa area.

Acting on a warrant issued by the State Prosecutor, the Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) arrested Serbian war criminal Mladen Drljaca in Banja Luka area in early March 2008. He has been held in custody since then.

His name is also mentioned in the indictment against Serbian war criminal Gojko Klickovic, which alleges that the two Serbian war criminals participated in a joint criminal enterprise with the aim of dividing the Bosanska Krupa municipality.

The Bosnian State Prosecutior also charges Serbian war criminal Jovan Ostojic, who was arrested by the Bosnian authorities in February 2008, with participation in a joint criminal enterprise.

The indictment against Ostojic was confirmed in March 2008. He is charged, as a member of the genocidal Serbian aggressor's formations with having failed to prevent or sanction the crimes committed by his subordinates in a school building in Bosanska Krupa , where Bosnian civilians were murdered, tortured and taken to other locations to perform forced labour.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor proposed merging the indictments against Serbian war criminals Mladen Drljaca, Gojko Klickovic and Jovan Ostojic, as they all "refer to the crimes committed in the same area." A decision on this issue is still pending.
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ANDORRAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March,20,2008) – Foreign Affairs Ministers of Bosnia and Andorra Sven Alkalaj and Meritxell Mateu Pi, agreed in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo yesterday to intensify cooperation between the two countries, especially in the sector of education and tourism.

It has been stated at the meeting that Andorra has provided significant help for Bosnia in the education reform sector.

The Bosnian Foreign Affairs Minister Sven Alkalaj stated that the Andorran experts provided help for Bosnia in the process of fulfilment of the conditions necessary for membership to the Council of Europe.

Apart from cooperation in the sector of education and tourism and signing of certain agreements, intensification of cooperation has also been agreed in other sectors. For that purpose, visits of the two countries’ delegations will follow at a high level.

They also talked about the progress Bosnia has made in the process of the European integrations.
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