Human Rights -Alliance - pour les Droits de l’Homme

5432 NEUENHOF , CP/POBox -105     Switzerland/Suisse       EMail :
humright.alliance@tele2.ch

June 2008- Part I

Council  of Europe - Council of Ministers

For att. of Mr. Carl BILD, President

In the name of several NGOs,  we take the liberty to make a proposal:

The Proposal to the Council of Foreign Affaires Ministries of the Council of
Europe to form an unit to control and supervise the works of some judges of
the ECHR. It must be an independent unit outside any influence. It does not
mean the suppression of the judges’ independence. It is a kind of  ’European
Judicial Council’ composed of respected jurists, judges, lawyers and
professors of law. The majority should come from Western Democracies where
‘human rights’ has been respected for generations. The mistake made by the
ECHR should be avoided: A large democracy like the UK, France gives one
judge like a small Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldavia  where no respect  human
rights and oppressions are a part of every day. The judges were chosen
solely for political reasons..

No body is about the law and everybody has a share of responsibility.  The
judges today have much power; they do not have the same ‘dose ‘ of
responsibility? Too much power without responsibilities leads to abuse and
to the chaos.

The purpose of the ECHR - European Court of Human Rights was, as it was
founded, to protect  Human Rights and to make legal improvements for the
well being of humanity. That is not the case anymore. The Council of
Ministers of the Council of Europe at the 116 sessions of 18/19th May
2006  concluded that more than 90% complaints were rejected without any
valid reason. Today’s situation is even worse, observers are talking about
95-97% of rejected complaints.

The behaviour of the ECHR is unique in the world. When somebody presents a
complaint at the begin he receives from the ECHR the number of his case. If
the accuser requires acknowledgement of delivered documents, he never
receives an answer. After 2 -3 years he receives in 95% of cases a
negative answer-see :

a)      Your request is not-admitted you do not satisfy articles 34 and 35
of the Convention

b)      Based on documentations, the ECHR does not see any violation of your
rights granted by the Convention.

c)      This decision is definitive. You have no possibility of appeal. Your
acts will be de destroyed.

We will present to the community a few cases of members of our NGO with
scanned documents and proofs in French or English. We ask you to spend 30-40
min, you will easily understand how the Human rights ( Protocol 11) are
violated by National Justice and approved by the ECHR in the 21st century.
That is one of more than 50000 cases rejected and declared non-admitted
every year by the ECHR. This number is growing and represents a new kind of
perfidious juridical corruption and confiscation of proprieties, spread over
Europe with  unpredictable consequences. History teaches us that corruption,
especially juridical is poison, for any progress of society.

Roman  empire based on discipline, civic conscience, state of law created an
exceptional civilisation with very modest technical means, lasted 1200
years. The fall of Rom in 476 is result of massively increased corruption
more than the attacks of Odakars.

CROATIA is the best example how the corruption (juridical) can destroy a
country quickly. Remember 18 years ago Croatia was considerably richer than
any other, except Slovenia, country that jointed the EU in 2004. Today
Cyprus has a 2.5 time higher GDP/ head. Ireland and Croatia are so similar
and so different. Twenty years ago Ireland was three times poorer today 3
times richer. After Israel Croatia has the largest percentage of Diaspora in
the world (1′300′000 left in last 30 years and 1′400′000 in the period
before, all together 2.7 millions or app. 40 % live abroad). Some of them
came back at the beginning of the nineties - lost everything and returned
where they come from. The normal conditions to create the healthy activities
do not exist. Concerning the protection (juridical) The World Bank DB for
2007 put Croatia on 156th position  (only a few Central African countries
are behind).  These facts are crucial for whole nation - 18 years ago a
relatively rich Croatia is now selling everything: 94% of all banks, Pliva
(pharmaceutical) last year, this year INA (petrol) and in spite of Sales
OFF, debts are massively increasing. The last data concerning the external
debts was 54 Billions $. Forecast for the end 2008, 63 Billions $ (10 times
higher then 9 years ago). Internal and personal debts are increasing with
the similar speed. More indebted then Argentina at the time of its financial
collapse, how long Croatia can stand without major financial crises? How it
will finish? - poor citizens might lose another 40-45% of their income

A.Petric - PhD, HRA-Switzerland

Government of the Republic of Croatia
Trg svetog Marka 2
10 000 Zagreb
To the attention of: Dr Ivo Sanader, the Prime Minister
Dear Sir,
I am passing this civil petition on to you regarding the conduct of the Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA). The petition has also been forwarded to the Committee for Internal Politics and National Security and the Council for Civil Supervision of Intelligence Agencies. I would appreciate if you also, in accordance with your statutory authorities, joined in the stopping of a years-long SOA persecution that I have been exposed to. I am willing to inform international officials and the proper journalists associations and associations for civil rights protection, which are of vital Croatian national interests, on the results of your engagement and parliamentary investigation.
Yours faithfully,
Freelance journalist and blogger
Željko Peratović
Zvonigradska 33
10 000 Zagreb
Zagreb, 14 March, 2008.
Croatian Parliament
Trg Svetog Marka 6
10 000 Zagreb
Council for Civil Supervision of Security-Intelligence Agencies
Mile Ćulumović, the president

Parliamentary Committee for Internal Politics and National Security
Ranko Ostojić, the president

Subject: CIVIL PETITION AGAINST SOA CONDUCT

Dear Sir, my name is Željko Peratović. I am a freelance journalist and blogger from Zagreb. I am addressing you so that you, in accordance with your statutory obligations, take necessary actions regarding the protection of my basic human and professional rights and freedoms, Pursuant to Article 38 of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia. Following the conducted parliamentary investigation, in 2005 the Council and the Committee jointly concluded that «there is a reasonable doubt that POA (Counter-Intelligence Agency) violated those rights». The same have been systematically violated to date by SOA, a POA legal successor.

As you have probably learnt from the media, on 17 October, 2007, criminal investigators from the Zagreb Police Department searched my under-age daughter’s flat in which I live. I was arrested under the suspicion of disclosing (publishing) state and military secrets.

Besides DORH unofficial statements claiming that my arrest was the result of « a nonsense in the police» and president Stjepan Mesić saying that it was the police case so he did not want to declare himself since the police is not in his competence, I have been claiming from the start that the intimidation my family and I have been exposed to was initiated, supervised and mostly conducted by SOA.
Apart from indications and information I have personally received as the confirmation of the above mentioned, last week the following Internet sites:
http://cnn.blog.hr/2008/03/1624367674/soa-zeljko-peratovic-drzavni-je-neprijatelj-broj-jedan.html and http://pollitika.com/soa-zeljko-peratovic-drzavni-je-neprijatelj-broj-jedan,
published an article with the SOA accompanying documents, which, if authentic, confirm my suspicions I was stating regarding the role SOA had in the violation of my human and professional rights and freedoms.
Therefore, I request from the already mentioned Council and Committee to set up a joint commission that will verify the authenticity of documents published in the afore mentioned blog addresses, or, to be more accurate, located in the following hosting addresses:
http://img410.imageshack.us/my.php?image=str1kz9.gif ,
http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=str2am3.gif i http://www.divshare.com/download/3945111-7c5 and establish whether SOA has violated my, as well as the rights and freedoms of the other «suspects» who have been said to comment on 45 lines: Željko Bagić, Romano Bolković and Vjekoslav Brajović, and, accordingly, ask for the responsibility (including criminal liability) of the competent ones or establish that my objections have been unfounded.

The published documents point to SOA’s repeated and multi-type breaking the law. Besides being suspected of disclosing already released state and military secrets, which is a precedent as well as nonsense in the past repressive practice of the young Croatian country, I have also been incriminated by an accusation that I «was jeopardizing the safety of SOA employees by making their names and positions known». That is nothing but a doubt used to divert attention from the fact that I only mentioned the SOA employees’ identity in the context of articles on nepotism and corruption in the process of reorganization of the security-intelligence system and the personnel policy of Tomislav Karamarko, the SOA director. It is also one of Tomislav Karamarko’s personal motives for insisting on breaking the law and violation of my rights and freedoms.

The document titled « The analysis of the article/commentary background on blog 45 lines» clearly shows that SOA has continued to vilify me with its «interventions on blog», and even to suspect me of contributing to the Milan Levar, a witness to war crimes in Gospić, murder. On many occasions, I wrote and stated that Tomislav Karamarko, the current SOA director, who was the head of UNS (Office for National Security) at the time and after the murder of Milan Levar, participated in the obstruction of preliminary investigation activities connected to the mentioned murder. I hold that the «SOA intervention» on my blog saying that «I disclosed Milan Levar’s movement to suspects» is a direct pressure that SOA exerted on me in order to keep quiet as a potential witness in the investigation of Milan Levar’s murder. The comparison of the alleged SOA document and «SOA intervention» on 45 lines can be seen on the website:
http://peratovic.blog.hr/2008/03/1624374633/koga-bloga-soa.html.

Update, 16. 04. 2008:Amnesty International is particularly concerned about the slow pace of prosecutions for war crimes in Croatia and the apparent ethnic bias of investigations, most involving only Croatian Serb perpetrators. The organization is also worried about harassment and intimidation of victims and witnesses, as well as journalists reporting on war crimes. Croatian authorities have not made accountability for war crimes a clear political priority. The EU has a responsibility within the accession process to demand that they do so.

While in Brussels, Irene Khan will also introduce the screening of an Amnesty International film documenting impunity for war crimes in Croatia and address the European Policy Centre on EU asylum policies in the context of security.Amnesty.org, 15. 04. 2008

Parts of AI’s documentary: “Croatia: A Wall Of Silence” about cases Gospić, Levar and Peratović. Full video you must see under link.

I have indirect information that SOA was illegally involved in the police procedures regarding my case. According to some sources close to SOA, Tomislav Milčić, the chief of staff, was personally appointed by Tomislav Karamarko to run the operation «45 lines». He was allegedly involved in the illegal search of my personal things, during which my digital camera’s memory card on which a part of the interview with the former agent of the Yugoslav secret agency SID, Josip Majerski, was destroyed (see http://peratovic.blog.hr/2008/01/1623938621/ipak-me-policija-naljutila-obracam-se-hhou.html).

According to my sources, Tomislav Milčić does not have proper qualifications needed for the job position to which he was appointed by Tomislav Karamarko, the SOA director. There is publicly available information according to which the German administration of justice, at some time, expressed its disapproval with the SOA employee, Tomislav Milčić, taking part in the Croatian authorities’ noncooperation regarding international legal help in the case of Krunoslav Prates being on trial as an accessory to the murder of emigrant Stjepan Đureković. These days, one of the German judges said that he would turn the Republic of Croatia to competent EU institutions on charges of the above mentioned noncooperation. Therefore, judging by this example of the head of staff in SOA, it is obvious that not only SOA statements, claiming that my articles are directed against national interests – accession of Croatia to the Euro-Atlantic integrations, are unfounded but, on the contrary. It is SOA conduct which is directed against accession of Croatia to the Euro-Atlantic Integrations.

There is a reasonable doubt that in my case, it is sources from SOA who were leaking information to the media. For better understanding, please check on the articles in Slobodna Dalmacija -
http://arhiv.slobodnadalmacija.hr/20071020/novosti02.asp and Nacional - http://www.nacional.hr/articles/view/39138/.

Therefore, I would like the addressees to carry out the parliamentary investigation into this case as soon as possible. Due to SOA illegal conduct, besides the above mentioned rights and freedoms pursuant to Article 38 of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, I have also been denied the right to work and I am afraid for my family and my physical existence in Croatia. I suggest the following to be summoned as potential witnesses:
1. Željko Peratović
2. Tomislav Karamarko
3. Josip Buljević
4. Tomislav Milčić
5. Romano Bolković
6. Željko Bagić
7. Vjekoslav Brajović
8. Jasna Babić
9. Berislav Jelinić

Due to multiple conflicts of interest which I am willing to explain in detail during the parliamentary hearing, it is my recommendation to prevent Mr Tomislav Matijević, the Committee secretary, of having any contact with the information of this petition.

Yours faithfully,

Freelance journalist and blogger

Željko Peratović

Zvonigradska 33

10 000 Zagreb

Note: I have informed the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia, the Government of the Republic of Croatia, CHC and CJA about this petition.

Croatian Journalists Association - News

Croatian Journalists Association press release, March 17, 2008-03-18

We support Željko Peratović petition

The Croatian Journalists Association supports its member Željko Peratović, a freelance journalist and blogger, petition he has sent to the Council for Civil Supervision of Security-Intelligence Agencies and the Croatian Parliament’s Committee for Internal Politics and National Security, asking them to protect his human and professional rights and freedoms. These days, an alleged SOA document has been published. If the document is authentic, it follows that the SOA has been incriminating Željko Peratović for his writing. Besides that, another implication is that the SOA has been intervening on blogs using its own comments and enquiring about the identity of those commenting blogs. We appeal to the Council for Civil Supervision of Security-Intelligence Agencies and the Croatian Parliament’s Committee to look into the authenticity of the aforementioned document and protect Peratović’s human and professional rights.

Zdenko Duka, president

Quelque part, la Croatie, Novi list, Rijeka, 29.10.2007
Ecrit par Boris Pavelić

Le président de certains citoyens

Le discours inaugural de Mesić en 2000 contenait une force de liberté, mais aujourd’hui le président justifie la répression contre les journalistes. Il s’agit d’une régression qu’il faut regretter.

Je serai le président de tous les citoyens de ce pays. De même je serai citoyen président. C’est ce qu’avait promis Stipe Mesić dans son discours d’investiture en débutant son premier mandat. Toutes proportions gardées, ces mots contenaient la force de liberté de l’introduction historique de la Déclaration américaine d’indépendance. « Nous considérons ces vérités comme évidentes : que tous les hommes sont nés égaux… ». La rupture de la toile d’araignée des services secrets et des influences politiques sur les medias et les libertés des journalistes était peut être la partie essentielle des changements sociaux à venir depuis la « démocrature » de Tuđman envers la communauté de l’Etat de droit, que personnifiait l’élection de Mesić comme président. Et là encore Mesić s’est comporté comme un brise-glace politique. Mais voilà, huit années après, Stjepan Mesić justifie sur un ton sarcastique la répression contre les journalistes car il n’est plus limité par aucune échéance électorale alors même que son règne de président devrait atteindre des sommets sidéraux, voire des moments haveliens. Il s’agit d’une régression qu’il faut regretter. Ce sont des erreurs par lesquelles les hommes de mérite se compromettent devant l’Histoire.

« Si la loi est enfreinte, cela sera établi. Car la police peut auditionner quiconque, et même moi – quand mon mandat sera terminé » a dit aux journalistes, il y a une semaine, le président Mesić dans une déclaration passée inaperçue concernant l’arrestation de journaliste Željko Peratović. « Je ne vais pas démentir tous ceux qui m’attaquent tous les jours a l’instar de Dujmović, Ivkošić, Margetić ou autres. Celui-là appartient sans doute à cette liste ; il y a juste que je ne sais rien de lui. Et s’il jouit du fait que je ne l’aime pas, qu’il en profite » a ajouté Mesić dans une déclaration contradictoire et partiellement mensongère, dont l’analyse montrerait soit que le président ne comprend pas, soit qu’il néglige délibérément le principe d’égalité des citoyens devant la loi, tout dépendant du point de savoir si telle ou telle personne lui plaît.

La honte du système répressif

Mais il vaut procéder par ordre. Tout le monde sait aujourd’hui que l’arrestation du journaliste indépendant Željko Peratović s’est transformée en une énorme honte du système répressif. Le paradoxe d’humour noir réside dans le fait que ce système confus et rougi ait lui-même reconnu sa propre honte. Peratović, nous le savons, a été arrêté pour avoir, il y a deux ans, publié sur son blog trois documents connus et déjà publiés. C’est un scandale à cause duquel, dans les Etats qui tiennent aux libertés d’expression, les démissions sauteraient comme des étincelles. Mais pas chez nous : même si le premier ministre a personnellement annoncé le châtiment des responsables ; même si la police a d’abord arrêté Peratović pour ensuite accuser le procureur et les services secrets déclarant qu’elle n’a plus l’intention de s’occuper d’affaires semblables ; même si le procureur, en couvrant de cendre son premier homme, frémissait publiquement de l’attitude de la police, essayant de laver ses propres pêchés, – il n’est rien arrivé à personne. De plus – et c’est là le sommet - le président de l’Etat lui-même, l’homme qui aime d’ordinaire à se présenter comme défenseur de la liberté de la presse, a parfumé tous ces excréments des anciennes écuries d’Augias jamais nettoyés du labyrinthe de l’espionnage croate.

Le message de l’homme au dessus des lois

Et parfumé à quel point ! « Si la loi est enfreinte, cela sera établi. Car la police peut auditionner quiconque » a dit Mesić. Mais arrêtez ! Même un journaliste qui a repris une information publiée depuis longtemps ? S’il en va ainsi, le président devrait dire quelle est cette frontière qui sépare la police démocratique de la répression arbitraire ? Si c’est ainsi, pourquoi était-il injustifié que Mesić soit incarcéré pour avoir fondé des entreprises à Orahovica et avoir introduit le capitalisme pourri dans l’idylle de la justice socialiste ? Il avait en effet violé les lois d’alors, la police l’a auditionné - car « elle peut auditionner quiconque - et il s’est bien trouvé arrêté. Il a violé la loi, mon cher, et pourquoi se révolte-t-il maintenant?! Le Président nous a rappelé où s’arrêtait les pouvoirs d’interrogatoire de la police : « mais moi aussi quand mon mandat sera terminé ». Il y a, dans cette affirmation, de quoi vous glasser le sang. « à la différence de vous, je suis intouchable » a dit Mesić à la nation. Hormis le fait que cette affirmation soit fausse – car le président de la République n’a pas d’immunité de poursuites pénales s’il commet un crime, elle est non-démocratique, napoléonienne, et insultante pour les citoyens sensibles démocratiquement. Et en ce qui concerne Peratović, il est le premier journaliste que le président de la République ait laché dans les griffes de l’arbitraire et d’une répression imprévisible des stupides Clouzots croates. Il l’a fait, de surcroît, avec plaisir, démontrant qu’il n’était pas « le président de tous « mais de certains seulement des citoyens de ce pays.

(Letter to EU Commission sent on 05. 11. 2007.)

Dears,