PLATFORM APPEAL 112
Civil society organizations united in Platform 112 again appeal to the Government of Prime Minister Zoran Milanović to initiate the repeal of the disputed provisions of the Law on Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters with EU member states as soon as possible, the so-called lex Perković, and initiate the extradition of the former head of the Yugoslav and Croatian secret services Josip Perković Germany, which charges him with organized political murder.
Previous The government's behavior is causing great political damage to Croatia. and confirms the skepticism of many about Croatia's insufficient political and legal readiness to join the EU, and has also prompted the European Commission to initiate sanctions against Croatia.
The persistent refusal of Prime Minister Milanović and his ministers to offer the public an answer to the key question of why the Government does not want to amend the Law in the manner negotiated during the pre-accession process, without suspending the effect of the amendment until July 2014, remains unclear, despite the initiative of the same Government to exempt all political murders from the statute of limitations through the Constitution itself, without any time limit.
Equality of all EU member states is a goal that the Government should promote by fulfilling all those commonly agreed standards of conduct that are clearly beneficial, not detrimental, to legal and social security.
Avoiding the obligations undertaken is a bad path. As an equal member of the European Union, Croatia can and should primarily use EU mechanisms, such as the European Court of Justice, to launch a political initiative for the equal and full application of the EUN in all member states, i.e. without the possibility of a time limit on its application.
Instead, from a state that led long-term negotiations and finally overcame many obstacles precisely in relation to the judiciary and human rights, The Government and Parliament have unilaterally suspended the application of the European Arrest Warrant. Paradoxically, this led us to the devastating fact that Croatia, as a country that really needed the judicial assistance of other countries in the prosecution of war crimes, instead of imposing on others the highest standards of full application of the EUN, is now doing the opposite.
We remind Prime Minister Milanović that the European Arrest Warrant, according to the provisions Council of Europe Framework Decisions, also refers to criminal offenses from the jurisdiction International Criminal Court, therefore war crimes and crimes against humanity. The time limit on the application of the EUN makes it impossible or at least significantly more difficult to prosecute many war crimes committed in Croatia between 1991 and 1995, because the perpetrators live in the territory of EU member states and are currently inaccessible to the Croatian judiciary.
Regarding the case of Josip Perković and his extradition, we remind you that it should be in the interest of all citizens, regardless of political and ideological differences, to bring him to justice, because this is a person suspected not only of criminal acts committed during his service within the Yugoslav secret services, but also of war crimes of the nineties, against prisoners of war in prisons in Gajeva Street in Zagreb and in Kerestinac.
Platform 112
The 112 Platform – for Croatia's Rule of Law is made up of the following organizations:
BaBe, CESI - Center for Education, Counseling and Research, Center for LGBT Equality, Center for Peace Studies (CMS), Center for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights Osijek, Center for Peace, Legal Advice and Psychosocial Assistance Vukovar, Documenta - Center for Dealing with the Past, GONG, House of Human Rights, Right to the City, Serbian Democratic Forum, Transparency International Croatia, Association for Social Affirmation of People with Mental Disorders - Sjaj, Association for Independent Media Culture, Association for Promoting Inclusion, Association for Promoting Equal Opportunities, Association of Parents of Children with Special Needs "Put u život - PUŽ", Association for Self-Advocacy, Association of Investigative Journalists, Green Action.
"Platform 112 – for Croatia under the rule of law" is supported by the following organizations:
Amnesty International Croatia, Brod Ecological Society, IDEM Inclusive Support Center, Poreč Civic Initiatives Center, DELFIN Pakrac Civil Society Support and Development Center, DEŠA – Dubrovnik, Humanitarian and Peacemaking Organization, Eko Pan, Eko-eko Komin, Ecological Tourism
