ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - SEPTEMBER 25, 2008

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000680 SIPDIS FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA OSD FOR POPOVICH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EAIR HR SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - SEPTEMBER 25, 2008 ¶1. (U) CROATIA'S ACCESSION TO NATO APPROVED BY US SENATE: News of the U.S. Senate's vote late in the evening of September 25 to provide advice and consent to the NATO Accession Protocols for Croatia and Albania arrived too late to make it into most of the Croatian media. It should be a lead story on September 26. ¶2. (U) MUTED REACTION TO NEGATIVE FAA FINDING ON CROATIAN CIVIL AVIATION: The FAA in Washington on September 25 announced that Croatia's civil aviation safety oversight system does not fully meet international standards, and that Croatia was therefore rated as a Category 2 country. In close coordination with the Embassy, the Croatian Ministry of Transportation was able to get ahead of story in Croatian media and get out that the message that it took the FAA's criticisms seriously, but that it was already taking steps to try and address the deficiencies found in the FAA's assessment. ¶3. (U) DEFENDANTS IN GLAVAS TRIAL RELEASED FROM DETENTION: Four of the seven defendants in the war crimes case of Branimir Glavas have been granted provisional release after spending nearly two years in custody, when the Constitution Court accepted their complaints that continued detention would violate their rights. The accused have been in custody since late October 2006. The Constitutional Court found that the constitutional right to personal freedom was violated in this case because the accused had been held in detention for an unreasonably long period of time and because the presentation of evidence, including a large number of witnesses, was still only partially complete. The two defendants remaining in custody are expected to be released upon filing a similar appeal. The principal defendant in the case, Branimir Glavas, was released from detention in January when Parliament restored his immunity from detention, while allowing the prosecution to proceed, after his re-election to the Parliament. (CZimmer) ¶4. (U) GoC CRACKS DOWN ON ALLEGED ACADEMIC CORRUPTION: The Office for Suppression of Organized Crime and Corruption (USKOK),the Office of the General State Attorney and the Croatian Police implemented one of the largest anti-corruption actions in the country's history, "Operacija Index" (roughly translated, "Operation Report Card"). So far, prosecutors have brought criminal charges against 69 individuals to date (mainly academics and professors from different Croatian Universities). The charges center on allegations that the 69 suspects committed various criminal acts, such as bribe taking and giving, abuse of authority, and illegal mediation, while arranging fradulent grades, diplomas or admission to academic institutions. Upon being questioned by the investigative judge, some suspects did admit to committing corrupt acts. The investigation is ongoing. (VDjuric) ¶5. (U) EMBASSY ZAGREB SPONSORS NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL: In cooperation with the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Embassy helped sponsor the Croatian American Society's third annual "Red Rocks Arts and Crafts Festival." Headlined by celebrated Native American musicians Joseph FireCrow and Keith Secola, the festival featured concerts and workshops in Osijek, Opatija, and Zagreb. Joseph FireCrow is a Grammy-nominated flautist, some of whose music featured on the soundtrack of the Ken Burns' documentary, "Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery." Native folk and blues rocker Keith Secola is an award-winning musician, master guitarist and native flute player. His song, "NDN Kars", is considered the contemporary Native American anthem and is the most requested song on Native radio in the US and Canada. The festival also included a DVC at the American Corner in Zagreb with prominent Native American flautist R. Carlos Nakai. (KWetzel) Bradtke