Wikileaks - III

"627","1/11/1994 16:05","94ZAGREB118","Embassy Zagreb","UNCLASSIFIED","","This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

111605Z Jan 94 COM SIXTHFLT//N2//
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY BONN
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
AMEMBASSY ATHENS
AMEMBASSY ANKARA
CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD//
","UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 000118

SIPDIS

AMEMBASSY VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA

E.O. 12356: NA
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, HR, PGOV, HR, PGOV, HR, BK, War Crimes
SUBJECT: TFSROL: ZAGREB UPDATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES

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27 BODIES FOUND IN KRIZANCEVO MASS GRAVE
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1. ON JANUARY 6 UNPROFOR TROOPS WERE PERMITTED TO EXHUME A MASS GRAVE NEAR KRIZANCEVO (NEAR VITEZ, CENTRAL B-H). BRITISH UNPROFOR ELEMENTS INVESTIGATING THE SITUATION THERE ON DECEMBER 29 WERE FORCED TO WITHDRAW AFTER ENCOUNTERING HEAVY FIRE FROM B-H ARMY POSITIONS.

2. ON JANUARY 8, AFTER UNPROFOR DID GET ACCESS TO THE SCENE, UNPROFOR REPRESENTATIVE SIMON GHILL GAVE THE CROATIAN DEFENSE COUNCIL (HVO) A LIST OF NAMES PROVIDED BY THE B-H ARMY FOR THE 27 BODIES FOUND IN THE GRAVE. ALL 27 WERE LISTED BY THE B-H ARMY AS HVO FIGHTERS OF THE VITEZ BRIGADE. THE HVO ASSERTS, HOWEVER, THAT MOST OF THE BODIES EXHUMED WERE DRESSED AS CIVILIANS. SO FAR, 15 OF THE BODIES HAVE BEEN POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED.

3. ACCORDING TO UNPROFOR, ANOTHER COMMON GRAVE NEAR THE KRIZANCEVO SITE CONTAINS AT LEAST 8 BODIES, ABOUT WHICH THE B-H ARMY SO FAR HAS PROVIDED NO INFORMATION. IN ADDITION, HVO SOURCES SAY, THE B-H ARMY HAS REFUSED TO PERMIT RETRIEVAL OF SOME 15-20 BODIES LYING FOR THE LAST 18 DAYS NEAR THE CONFRONTATION LINE. THE B-H ARMY CLAIMS 74 CROATS IN ALL WERE KILLED DURING THE PRE-CHRISTMAS B-H ARMY OFFENSIVE NEAR KRIZANCEVO.

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CROATIAN CITIZENS REPORTEDLY MOBILIZED TO FIGHT IN B-H
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4. THE CROATIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE (HHO) ISSUED A STATEMENT DECEMBER 29 CLAIMING THAT IN THE WEEKS PRECEDING THAT DATE SEVERAL THOUSAND CROATIAN CITIZENS BORN IN B-H HAD BEEN DRAFTED AND SENT TO THE B-H FRONT. THE HHO STATEMENT SAID MANY OF THE DRAFTEES ARE STUDENTS, RETIRED OR EVEN HANDICAPPED PERSONS. THE HHO SAYS THEY WERE STATIONED IN CROATIAN MILITARY BARRACKS AND GIVEN UNIFORMS BEARING NO INSIGNIA. THE COMMITTEE ALSO CLAIMS TO BE IN POSSESSION OF DOCUMENTS SHOWING THAT SOLDIERS SERVING IN THE CROATIAN ARMY, AFTER REFUSING TO BE TRANSFERRED TO B-H, WERE SUBJECTED TO DISCIPLINARY MEASURES AND THREATENED WITH COURT MARTIAL.

5. MINISTRY OF DEFENSE SPOKESMAN GENERAL DRAGO KRPINA RESPONDED TO THE HHO CHARGES ON DECEMBER 31, SAYING \"NONE OF THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE HHO STATEMENT ARE CORRECT.\" HE EXPLAINED THAT UNDER CROATIAN ARMY\'S MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN A SKELETON RESERVE BRIGADE WAS ESTABLISHED AND MANNED AT ONLY ONE QUARTER OF NORMAL BRIGADE STRENGTH, A FACT HE SAID REFUTES THE CHARGE THAT \"SEVERAL THOUSAND\" CROATIAN CITIZENS WERE MOBILIZED. WHERE THIS BRIGADE MIGHT BE DEPLOYED, ONCE ACTIVATED, \"WILL BE DECIDED THROUGH STANDARD PROCEDURES,\" THE SPOKESMAN SAID, ADDING THAT HE DID NOT KNOW WHETHER NATIVE BOSNIAN CROATS WOULD VOLUNTEER TO SERVE IN BOSNIA \"TO DEFEND THE HEARTHS OF THEIR FOREFATHERS.\"

6. THE SPOKESMAN DID NOT EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOME STUDENTS, WHO BY LAW HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONTINUE THEIR STUDIES, MIGHT HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY INCLUDED AMONG THE DRAFTEES. IF SO, HE SAID, THEIR CASES WILL BE RECONSIDERED. WHILE KRPINA DENIED THAT ANYONE HAD KNOWINGLY BEEN MOBILIZED IN CONTRAVENTION OF CROATIA\'S DEFENSE LAW, HE SAID THAT ANY SUCH CASES WHICH CAME TO LIGHT WOULD BE REEXAMINED. HE ALSO SAID THAT NO ONE WHO REFUSED TO FIGHT IN B-H HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO DISCIPLINARY MEASURES. KRPINA PROMISED TO INSPECT CLOSELY ANY DOCUMENTATION PRESENTED TO HIM ALLEGING SUCH DISCIPLINARY MEASURES AGAINST DRAFTEES.

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REACTION TO BOMBING OF ORTHODOX EPARCHY RESIDENCE
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7. A POWERFUL EXPLOSION EARLY DECEMBER 24 MORNING SHATTERED THE CHRISTMAS CEASEFIRE CALM IN KARLOVAC, COMPLETELY DESTROYING ONE WING OF THE ORTHODOX EPARCHY RESIDENCE, PROPERTY OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY. SOME TEN SHOPS IN THE VICINITY ALSO WERE DAMAGED, AS WELL AS THE ROOF OF A NEARBY FRANCISCAN MONASTERY. POLICE SAY A TIME BOMB APPARENTLY WAS THE CAUSE. THE RESIDENCE HAD BEEN VACATED AND LOCKED SINCE SEPTEMBER 1991, WHEN MOST ORTHODOX CLERGY LEFT CROATIA. A COMPLETE INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN ORDERED BY CROATIAN AUTHORITIES.

8. CROATIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC CARDINAL FRANJO KUHARIC IMMEDIATELY ISSUED A STRONG CONDEMNATION. \"A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED AGAINST THE LAW AND AGAINST PEACE,\" HE SAID. \"RESOLUTELY AND WITH BITTERNESS WE PROTEST AGAINST THIS CRIME, WHICH HAS TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES NOT ONLY FOR THE EPARCHY BUT ALSO FOR CROATIA. DURING CHRISTMAS, A CEASEFIRE WAS AGREED UPON IN THIS SENSITIVE TERRITORY. THE BOMBING HAS VIOLATED THIS CEASEFIRE. WE REQUEST A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION. WE CONDEMN EACH ACT OF HATRED, VIOLENCE, AND REVENGE, BECAUSE IT IS AN ATTACK ON DIVINE AND HUMAN LAWS. WHOEVER HAS COMMITTED THIS ACT IS AN ENEMY OF MAN AND THE NATION.\"

9. KARLOVAC DISTRICT GOVERNOR JOSIP JAKOVCIC ALSO CONDEMNED THE BOMBING AS A POLITICALLY-MOTIVATED CRIMINAL ACT. JAKOVCIC SAID THAT THE PERPETRATORS \"DID CROATIA NO FAVOR -- JUST THE OPPOSITE.\" HE CALLED THE BOMBING A PREMEDITATED ACT, DESIGNED TO DESTABILIZE THE KARLOVAC REGION.

10. ACCORDING TO KARLOVAC MILITARY CORPS COMMANDER GENERAL PAVAO MILJEVAC, THE BOMBING DID GREAT HARM TO THE FRAGILE CEASEFIRE IN SECTOR NORTH. \"WE MAINTAIN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE OTHER SIDE,\" SAID MILJEVAC. \"SPECIAL CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO RESPECTING THE CEASEFIRE. THE EPARCHY RESIDENCE IS NEAR THE CONFRONTATION LINE, WHERE FORCES ARE VERY CLOSE. AN ESCALATION OF THE CONFLICT IS NOW POSSIBLE. IT IS UP TO US TO PRESERVE PEACE. WE WISH TO INFORM THE OTHER SIDE ABOUT THE DETAILS. THE MILITARY LEADERSHIP, AS WELL AS THE GOVERNMENT, CONSIDERS THIS BOMBING A TERRORIST ACT, REGARDLESS OF WHO THE PERPETRATOR WAS.\" (EMBASSY COMMENT: THE CHRISTMAS CEASEFIRE ESSENTIALLY HELD IN SECTOR NORTH AND THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING. END COMMENT)

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LEAKED DOCUMENTS IMPLICATE DEPUTY IN 1991 WAR CRIMES
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11. A REPORT PUBLISHED IN THE CHRISTMAS ISSUE OF THE WEEKLY NEWSMAGAZINE \"GLOBUS\" LEVELLED WAR CRIMES CHARGES AGAINST SABOR REPRESENTATIVE TOMISLAV MERCEP, KNOWN IN SOME CROATIAN CIRCLES AS THE DEFENDER OF VUKOVAR AND OF GOSPIC. THE ARTICLE INCLUDES EXTRACTS FROM CROATIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY DOCUMENTS, CLASSIFIED AS \"STATE SECRETS,\" WHICH CLAIM THAT SOME 20 EXECUTIONS WERE CARRIED OUT IN 1991 BY A POLICE SQUAD LED BY MERCEP. THE KILLINGS ALLEGEDLY TOOK PLACE IN PAKRACKA POLJANA, WHERE THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT IN LATE 1993 PERMITTED UN WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATORS TO EXAMINE A MASS GRAVE. INTERIOR MINISTER IVAN JARNJAK SAID DECEMBER 28 THAT AN INQUIRY INTO THE ALLEGED WAR CRIMES HAD ALREADY BEGUN. JARNJAK ALSO SAID HE DID NOT KNOW HOW THE DOCUMENTS WERE OBTAINED BY THE PRESS BUT THAT THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT IS INVESTIGATING THE LEAK.
GALBRAITH