"Forced psychiatric evaluation" for human rights activist

The Croatian police arrested Tonci Majic "and forced him to undergo psychiatric expertise for the second time this year", according to reports. Majic heads the Dalmatian Committee for Human Rights. He was detained in Split on Monday. "Forced psychiatric evaluation" for human rights activist Local NGOs fiercely reacted to this move against Majic, who informed the public about the crimes committed against Serb civilians and prisoners in the Split-based prison camp Lora during armed clashes in Croatia in the early 1990's and pointed to the responsibility of State Prosecutor Mladen Bajic who did not react adequately to the crimes in Lora. Such behavior of competent institution towards human rights activists is unacceptable because it constitutes a serious violation of their rights, organizations gathered within the House of Human Rights said in an open letter sent to the media and competent institutions as a response to, as they said, the absurd and unacceptable behavior toward Majic. NGOs believe that Tonci Majic deserves respect and protection because he was brave enough to come forth and actively confront violation of human rights in Split in the 1990's, because of his long-lasting investigation into war crimes committed against civilians and prisoners of war in the military research center in Lora and because of the efforts he invested into ensuring that the crimes are prosecuted. Recalling that Majic sent a torn Croatian flag to President Ivo Josipovic in October 2010 as a sign of protest because after 30 years, the Croatian judiciary still did not manage to resolve his damages trial which he initiated after the accident back in 1980 which disabled him to continue working as a reporter. In February 2011, Majic sent another torn flag to Prosecutor Bajic, after which the Zagreb Prosecutor's Office launched criminal proceedings because insults to a national symbol are contrary to the law. Meanwhile, Kresimir Devcic, spokesman for the Zagreb District Court, which issued the order, confirmed that Majic was ordered to brought in to the psychiatric hospital in Jankomir. "He actually refuses to submit himself to the evaluation, so the only way was to bring him in. And that was not possible without his consent" - this spokesman was quoted as saying. He further "did not wish to go into" whether the evaluation which could hold Majic detained for up to a month was a result of his conflict with Bajic. Originally, Majic was sent to undergo the psychiatric evaluation in May, but he refused, saying it was no coincidence this was to take place in the same week that he was summoned to travel to Montenegro and hand over documents related to the massacre of Montenegrin nationals in Lora to the Montenegrin prosecution. He also said that "Bajic's prosecution showed no interest in this case". The guards who tortured civilians and killed two of them in Lora were sentenced to several years of imprisonment each, while some of them are still on the run. According to reports, "a process is being prepared now" in the case of torture of prisoners, "most of them (brought in) from Bosnia in 1992". Some 1,000 prisoners went through the Lora camp, 60 of whom disappeared without a trace. Tonci Majic (Dalmatinski Komitet, file)

"Forced psychiatric evaluation" for human rights activist

Local NGOs fiercely reacted to this move against Majić, who informed the public about the crimes committed against Serb civilians and prisoners in the Split-based prison camp Lora during armed clashes in Croatia in the early 1990's and pointed to the responsibility of State Prosecutor Mladen Bajić who did not react adequately to the crimes in Lora.

Such behavior of competent institution towards human rights activists is unacceptable because it constitutes a serious violation of their rights, organizations gathered within the House of Human Rights said in an open letter sent to the media and competent institutions as a response to, as they said, the absurd and unacceptable behavior toward Majić.

NGOs believe that Tonči Majić deserves respect and protection because he was brave enough to come forth and actively confront violation of human rights in Split in the 1990's, because of his long-lasting investigation into war crimes committed against civilians and prisoners of war in the military research center in Lora and because of the efforts he invested into ensuring that the crimes are prosecuted.

Recalling that Majić sent a torn Croatian flag to President Ivo Josipović in October 2010 as a sign of protest because after 30 years, the Croatian judiciary still did not manage to resolve his damages trial which he initiated after the accident back in 1980 which disabled him to continue working as a reporter.

In February 2011, Majić sent another torn flag to Prosecutor Bajić, after which the Zagreb Prosecutor's Office launched criminal proceedings because insults to a national symbol are contrary to the law.

Meanwhile, Krešimir Devčić, spokesman for the Zagreb District Court, which issued the order, confirmed that Majić was ordered to brought in to the psychiatric hospital in Jankomir.

"He actually refuses to submit himself to the evaluation, so the only way was to bring him in. And that was not possible without his consent" - this spokesman was quoted as saying.

He further "did not wish to go into" whether the evaluation which could hold Majić detained for up to a month was a result of his conflict with Bajić.

Originally, Majić was sent to undergo the psychiatric evaluation in May, but he refused, saying it was no coincidence this was to take place in the same week that he was summoned to travel to Montenegro and hand over documents related to the massacre of Montenegrin nationals in Lora to the Montenegrin prosecution.

He also said that "Bajić's prosecution showed no interest in this case".

The guards who tortured civilians and killed two of them in Lora were sentenced to several years of imprisonment each, while some of them are still on the run.

According to reports, "a process is being prepared now" in the case of torture of prisoners, "most of them (brought in) from Bosnia in 1992". Some 1,000 prisoners went through the Lora camp, 60 of whom disappeared without a trace.