Croatia to prosecute glorification of fascist symbols
Thu Oct 31 2002 10:22:57 ET
The government of Croatian Premier Ivica Racan proposed a law on Thursday making the public display of fascist symbols punishable by up to three years in prison.
Under the new law, to be put before parliament, persons publicly displaying fascist symbols can face between three months and three years in jail.
The law primarily targets the country's right-wing extremists who use symbols of the Ustashe, forces of the Nazi puppet state that ruled Croatia during World War II.
The new law would thus forbid the use of the letter U in instances where police estimate that it stands for the ;Ustashe'', who wore the letter on their uniforms and were responsible for war crimes against Croatian Serbs, Jews, gypsies and anti-fascists.
The law would also ban the ;glorification of the symbols (such as the Nazi swastika) of former fascist states or organisations''. The present law only forbids the spreading of ethnic hatred, but does not specifically ban the use of symbols.
Also, under the proposed law, Croatia will introduce life imprisonment for war crimes, international terrorism and plane hijackers. The present laws stipulate maximum 20-year sentences for such crimes.
