Croatia detains man named in AI report

Croatia's wartime deputy Interior Minister Tomislav Mercep has been detained in Zagreb this morning, local media are saying. Mercep's name has been mentioned in connection to several war crimes, reports Croatia's state television HRT. He has never been indicted. Croatia detains man named in AI report Mercep's alleged victims during the war of the early 1990s were ethnic Serbs. A recent Amnesty International reports called on the government in Zagreb to process war crimes, and to investigate public accusations against Vladimir Seks, Tomislav Mercep and Davor Domazet, who are all believed to have taken part in committing war crimes. The report said that there were public testimonies of a number of former Croatian Interior Ministry reserve unit members, and media reports about the crimes committed near Pakrac and elsewhere in Croatia. But their commander, Tomislav Mercep, remained "untouchable". In the summer of 1991 - before any clashes occurred in Vukovar, eastern Croatia, Mercep, who was the local police chief, is believed to have detained and murdered more than 20 Serb civilians from the area. Many of the victims' bodies have not yet been recovered. The Hague Tribunal sent a large volume of documentation on Mercep and his unit's crimes, but up until this point, Croatia launched no proceedings against him. One of the most serious scandals in the Croatian judiciary is also related to Mercep's unit. In December 1991, they murdered three members of a Serb family in Zagreb: 12-year-old Aleksandra Zec and both her parents. Neighbors managed to save two other children. Although the Mercep men admitted to the crime, they were set free due to a procedural error in the court procedure. Six others from the same unit were on trial for crimes near Pakrac in western Slavonia, where they imprisoned, tortured and murdered 18 Serb civilians in November and December 1991. A first-degree court set them free, while Croatia's Supreme Court in 2001 sent the case to retrial. They were sentenced and sent to prison, but the Supreme Court overturned the verdicts and sent the case to another retrial.

Croatia detains man named in AI report

Merčep's alleged victims during the war of the early 1990s were ethnic Serbs.

A recent Amnesty International reports called on the government in Zagreb to process war crimes, and to investigate public accusations against Vladimir Šeks, Tomislav Merčep and Davor Domazet, who are all believed to have taken part in committing war crimes.

The report said that there were public testimonies of a number of former Croatian Interior Ministry reserve unit members, and media reports about the crimes committed near Pakrac and elsewhere in Croatia.

But their commander, Tomislav Merčep, remained "untouchable".

In the summer of 1991 - before any clashes occurred in Vukovar, eastern Croatia, Merčep, who was the local police chief, is believed to have detained and murdered more than 20 Serb civilians from the area.

Many of the victims' bodies have not yet been recovered.

The Hague Tribunal sent a large volume of documentation on Merčep and his unit's crimes, but up until this point, Croatia launched no proceedings against him.

One of the most serious scandals in the Croatian judiciary is also related to Merčep's unit.

In December 1991, they murdered three members of a Serb family in Zagreb: 12-year-old Aleksandra Zec and both her parents. Neighbors managed to save two other children.

Although the Merčep men admitted to the crime, they were set free due to a procedural error in the court procedure.

Six others from the same unit were on trial for crimes near Pakrac in western Slavonia, where they imprisoned, tortured and murdered 18 Serb civilians in November and December 1991.

A first-degree court set them free, while Croatia's Supreme Court in 2001 sent the case to retrial.

They were sentenced and sent to prison, but the Supreme Court overturned the verdicts and sent the case to another retrial.