PRESS RELEASE

To whom it may concern,

We are addresing you in regards to the attacks that occured after the Zagreb Pride 2008.
According to our current information four participants were attacked while leaving the manifestation. Aktivists of Iskorak and Kontra, Kristijan Grđan and Sanja Juras were attacked at the entrance of the buliding where the office of the Lesbian Group Kontra is situated. Activist Kristijan Grđan gained physical injuries of the head. Almost at the same time two participants of the Zagreb Pride were attacked in Varšavska street. One of them gained sever physical injuries and he was hospitalised, while the other one gained less sever injuries. Both cases were reported to the police.
While taking statement from attacked activists, police officers of the 5th Police station in Zagreb, qualified the attack as a misdemeanor. We would like to draw attention to the fact that described attacks represent criminal offences of violent behavior and race and other discrimination that represent hate crimes, not only misdemeanors.
We demand that the police finally introduce into its practice differentiating of misdemeanor offences of violation of public peace and order and violence motivated by hate towards certain social groups.
We would like to stress out that in the Progress Report of the European Commmission for the year 2007 in connection with hate crimes it is emphasized that only four cases have been processed according to the provisions of the Criminal Code which concern hate crime and that support to victims of discrimination is marginal. The European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights warned the Croatian government to avoid the unacceptable police behavior of the last year. In published statement it is stressed out that "Croatian government must clearly demonstrate that they understand that the respect for human rights of every citizen is one of the criteria to become a member of the European Union. The rights to peaceful assembly of LGBT people must be respected. There should be no repetition of the police misconduct of last year."

We demand:

• From the Police to consistantly imlement newly adopted legislation in regards to hate crimes (and intern instruction of the Ministry of Interiors), and find all perpetuators as soon as possible;
• From the State Attorney's Office to recognize these attacks as criminal offences of sevear physical injurjy, violent behavior, and race and other discrimination, and qualify them as hate crimes;

• From State mechanisms for protection of human rights and gender equality to monitor the work of the police in this cases.

Best regards,

Sanja Juras,
Coordinator of Lesbian Group Kontra

Kristijan Grđan,
Coordinator of Iskorak – Center for Rights of Sexual and Gender Minorities

Bojana Genov,
Coordinator of Women's Network of Croatia