THE SPLIT BLACKSHIRTS ALSO BEAT UP PEOPLE

AIM, SPLIT, February 3, 1994

The appalling practice going on in Split of forcibly and under threat of arms throwing people out of their homes in which they have been living as legal tenants for years has once again stirred the Split and Croat democratic public. In the last ten days at least six families have been forcibly evicted from their homes, according to the already seen ritual of threats, insults and humiliation.

Among those extending the greatest assistance to the Split families "visited" by these eviction groups, which are well armed and wear uniforms of the Army of Croatia, is the Dalmatian Committee for Human Rights from Split and its President Tonci Majic. During one of these evictions Majic himself, who had come to give the attacked people as much help as possible under such circumstances, was beaten up and sustained grave injuries. This event took place on Wednesday, February 2, in a flat at 29, Poljicka Street, owned by the Military Housing Fund, occupied by Slovenka Marinkovic, divorced since 1987, and her two daughters. This is the story of Tonci Majic, who came to their assistance as the President of an organization whose main task is to protect human rights and who was severely injured for no reason whatsoever.

"On that day about 11:00 a.m. members of the Croatian Armed Forces (HOS) broke into the flat bringing a widow with two children there" - says Majic. "I arrived at the flat at 12:30 p.m. Mrs. Slovenka, two civil policemen and 3-4 persons who introduced themselves as HOS members, but who were not in uniform were there. They were led by Ivan Perkusic, alias Barba. They made threats and insults, and would not allow us to use the phone.

"About 3:00 p.m.", continues Majic, "two military policemen and other HOS members came, some of them were in uniforms with marks on their sleves "For the Homeland Ready". They were joined by an invalid on crutches from the neighbouring flat to which the family Radosavljevic has tenancy rights, and which was also broken into , which I already spoke about. The "headquarters" of that band which, as they said themselves, has about 30 members, is now in that flat. From there they make raids every day and break into or rob at least one flat, which has caused a psychosis of fear, for no one knows who is next.

"The invalid", goes on Majic, "tried to hit Slovenka Marinkovic with one of the crutches. I grabbed it to prevent him hitting her, and he hit me with all his strength and broke my nose. Another one grabbed me by the hair and started shaking my head with all his might. I slipped from the couch, where I was sitting, after which a moustached man in uniform kicked me in the loins, and some of the others followed his example. I started bleeding profusely. Then they took me by the arms and legs and carried me outside, while the civil and military policemen watched all this without even trying to interfere or stop them.

While they were carrying me someone hit me on the head several times, and then they threw me on the floor in front of the flat. All this was necessary so they could take us to the "Lora" by force, because Mrs. Marinkovic and I refused to go there because I knew that the military police had never helped anyone in such situations. She was simply pushed out of the flat.

The story is then continued in the "Lora" barracks where both of them were held for interrogation for three hours. Tonci Majic says further: "A report was made. They explained that they could not help us, because they had orders, or as they called them instructions, from Mr.Lausic only to note down who is in the flat and to leave, and not to intervene in any other way. Namely, practically to leave the people at the mercy of the housebreakers and robbers. We were also told that their people would not agree to throw out Croatian invalids and widows. While we were waiting for Mr.Budimir in front of the building, a policeman, with No. 4149, who had also been at the flat, pulled my hair, shook my head and insulted me.

When he arrived, Mr.Budimir explained that he had orders of the Deputy Minister, he did not say which, to return Mrs.Slovenka to the flat. The military police was to do that. I went with her. We came to the door, rang the bell and the door was opened by a woman in a black uniform, who started shouting that that was now an Ustashi flat. The invalid and several HOS members came from the neighbouring flat again. The invalid hit me on the top of the head again with his crutches, because we had already started going down the stairs. The others screamed that they would cut our throats if they ever saw us in that building again, which they wanted, as they yelled, "to completely cleanse", even of Croats.

Mrs.Slovenka went to call the military police, as Mr.Budimir had advised her to do "if any problems arose". While we waited in front of the building he promised to call someone. Then Ivan Perkusic came, shouted at us, especially at me, and after pointing a gun at me for some time, he hit me with the gun with all his strength and broke my head and glasses. We had to leave before the military police came".

Unfortunately, as is often the case today, the story ends like many previous ones, in which only during December last year about 200 families in Croatia were thrown out of their flats by force. In this story Slovenka Marinkovic is for the time being without a flat, Tonci Majic has a broken nose, three stitches, a mild brain concussion, cuts, a closed eye and numerous swellings...

Who is next? - wonder many denizens of Split and other Croat citizens with fear.

STOJAN OBRADOVIC