Open Letter to Mr. Alija Izetbegovic
Mr. Alija Izetbegovic
Member of the Presidency of BH
and President of the Party of Democratic Action
Dear Mr. Izetbegovic,
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in
Bosnia and Herzegovina was informed of unlawfull
detention and investigation of Senad Husidic from
Velika Kladusa. Local police without any warrant
took him first to the police station in Velika
Kladusa and afterward took him to Bihac where he
was investigated for the whole night. Senad
Husidic was set free after the intervention of
the IPTF. He did not receive any document on
detention and opening of investigation.
Senad Husidic was born in Velika Kladusa. During
the war, he was not a member of any military
formation. He had left Velika Kladusa in 1994,
and then he went first to the Republic of
Croatoia and then to Canada where he is liveing
today. He was detained while visiting a part of
his family that live in Velika Kladusa today.
This was his first visit to Bosnia and
Herzegovina after being in exile.
This unlawful detention is one in a series of
detentions, maltreatments and beatings whose
victims were the citizens of Velika Kladusa,
Cazin and some other places in Una-Sana Canton.
According to our estimates, about 3,000 to 4,000
citizens were victims of such unlawful behaviour
in the past few years. Besides, there is a
visible discrimination based on political
orientation the victims of which are the persons
who do not belong to the Party of Democratic
Action, i.e. all those being accused as
autonomists. Numerous forms of discrimination can
be seen in unlawfull firing from job, in unlawful
employment of new workers, discrimination against
children in schools, etc.
The first place in discrimination belongs to
Brick Factory from Cazin, then comes
“Agrokomerc” from Velika Kladusa, and then
schools in Coralici, high school of Mechanical
Engineering in Cazin and other institutions.
We interpret this detention and investigation of
Senad Husidic as another attempt of intimidation
of citizens of this region aimed at preventing
from return of refugees and at toppling those who
decided to live in Velika Kladusa, Cazin and
other places of this region.
I request you kindly Mr. Izetbegovic, as a member
of the highest state body and as the President of
the Party of Democratic Action, to do all in your
power that laws be respected in Una-Sana Canton
in order to protect rights of every and each
citizen and to create prospects for normal and
dignified life of all those living in this part
of Bosnia and Herzegovina or those who intend to
return and live there.
I am convinced that your contribution could be
great in removing all the obstacles to
normalisation of the state in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Sincerely yours,
Srdjan Dizdarevic
President of the Helsinki Committee
for Human Rights in BH
Sarajevo, 23 December 1999
No. 26A-12/99