Reaction to judgement of the Municipal court in case of attack by Molotov coctails
31/03/2008
Submitted by
Sanja Juras
PRESS RELEASE
26th January 2008
To whom it may concern,
We are addressing you in regards to the judgement of the Municipal Criminal Court in Zagreb in relation to the case of attack with Molotov coctails on Zagreb Pride manifestation participants. Namely, Josip Situm was sentenced to a year and two months of prison with obligatory psychiatric treatment.
We welcome the Court's judgement, but for final conclusion we are waiting for the legal validity of the judgement. Also, it seems that it is evident from the judicial procedure that there was more than one perpetuator. We are wondering why other perpetuars were not convicted. In her statement for the daily newspapers „Jutarnj list“ the judge said: „All of you run away, but not because you gave up on attack by your own will, but because the police came“. In the report of the Police Headquarters of Zagreb it was stated: „At 12.45 a.m. in the passage Harmica Croatian citizens (1988 and 1986) and a minor (1990) with no identity cards were found in possession of several bottles of flammable fluid and plastic bags with eggs and tomatoes that were supposed to serve for attack on the march participants.” The police brought misdemeanor charges against other three perpetuators before the Magistrates’ Court in Zagreb in line to the provisions of the Act on Misdemeanors against Public Order and Peace. However, Josip Situm, who tried to throw Molotov cocktail, when the police came, was arrested only after the Investigation Court issued arrest warrant after him.
In regards to this years’ Zagreb Pride Manifestation a whole series of violent incidents was recorded. We specially emphasize that the police brought exclusively misdemeanor charges in cases of physical violence against participants of the manifestation. Not a single criminal charge was brought by the police against perpetuators for criminal offences of violent behavior. Attempt of attack by Molotov cocktail was the only case where the State Attorney’s Office (not the police) initiated criminal investigation and only against one perpetuator. Homophobic conduct of police officers was recorded in the process of reporting of violence by Zagreb Pride participants (insulting injured parties on the basis of sexual orientation and nationality- case of Slovenian citizens). However, such misconduct was not penalized even after the complaint was filed to the Ministry of Interiors. In the response of the Ministry to the complaint of the injured parties following it was stated that the injured parties did not cooperate with the police and that the perpetuators that attacked them were not found. From such response of the Ministry we conclude that the police have no intention of dealing with hate crimes and homophobia inside its system.
With best regards,
Sanja Juras,
Coordinator of Lesbian Group Kontra
Kristijan Grdjan,
Coordinator of Iskorak- Centre for Sexual and Gender Minorities Rights
Bojana Genov,
Coordinator of Women's Network of Croatia
26th January 2008
To whom it may concern,
We are addressing you in regards to the judgement of the Municipal Criminal Court in Zagreb in relation to the case of attack with Molotov coctails on Zagreb Pride manifestation participants. Namely, Josip Situm was sentenced to a year and two months of prison with obligatory psychiatric treatment.
We welcome the Court's judgement, but for final conclusion we are waiting for the legal validity of the judgement. Also, it seems that it is evident from the judicial procedure that there was more than one perpetuator. We are wondering why other perpetuars were not convicted. In her statement for the daily newspapers „Jutarnj list“ the judge said: „All of you run away, but not because you gave up on attack by your own will, but because the police came“. In the report of the Police Headquarters of Zagreb it was stated: „At 12.45 a.m. in the passage Harmica Croatian citizens (1988 and 1986) and a minor (1990) with no identity cards were found in possession of several bottles of flammable fluid and plastic bags with eggs and tomatoes that were supposed to serve for attack on the march participants.” The police brought misdemeanor charges against other three perpetuators before the Magistrates’ Court in Zagreb in line to the provisions of the Act on Misdemeanors against Public Order and Peace. However, Josip Situm, who tried to throw Molotov cocktail, when the police came, was arrested only after the Investigation Court issued arrest warrant after him.
In regards to this years’ Zagreb Pride Manifestation a whole series of violent incidents was recorded. We specially emphasize that the police brought exclusively misdemeanor charges in cases of physical violence against participants of the manifestation. Not a single criminal charge was brought by the police against perpetuators for criminal offences of violent behavior. Attempt of attack by Molotov cocktail was the only case where the State Attorney’s Office (not the police) initiated criminal investigation and only against one perpetuator. Homophobic conduct of police officers was recorded in the process of reporting of violence by Zagreb Pride participants (insulting injured parties on the basis of sexual orientation and nationality- case of Slovenian citizens). However, such misconduct was not penalized even after the complaint was filed to the Ministry of Interiors. In the response of the Ministry to the complaint of the injured parties following it was stated that the injured parties did not cooperate with the police and that the perpetuators that attacked them were not found. From such response of the Ministry we conclude that the police have no intention of dealing with hate crimes and homophobia inside its system.
With best regards,
Sanja Juras,
Coordinator of Lesbian Group Kontra
Kristijan Grdjan,
Coordinator of Iskorak- Centre for Sexual and Gender Minorities Rights
Bojana Genov,
Coordinator of Women's Network of Croatia
