CROATIA: AUTHORITIES RELEASE DETAINEES

(6 May 1995) Serbo-Croat/Nat

Croatian authorities began releasing Saturday some of the one-thousand Serb men rounded up in Pakrac for questioning over alleged war crimes. .

Food and clothes were also distributed to the Serb population in towns and villages recaptured last week by Croatian troops in a surprise two-day military offensive.

This man had an emotional welcome from his family on his return home - back in a village near Pakrac, about 55 miles southeast of the capital Zagreb.

He was one of the thousand men who had been picked up in the Pakrac area and taken to three towns to be screened as possible war criminals.

Families anxiously awaited their fathers and sons - the roundup had taken men aged between 16 and 60.

Now the detainees were being released and, following international concern, the Croatian authorities allowed filming to prove they had been well treated.

Here in the village of Brusnik, a group of the returned detainees were addressed by the local police commander, telling them they were now citizens of Croatia and entitled to all the rights of a Croatian.

Some planned to stay in the villages, but others were considering leaving after their two day detention.

SOUNDBITE: (Croatian)
"No, I don't have family here, just a grandmother, but I will stay for sure."
SUPER CAPTION: Branko Kojadinovic, released detainee

Moreover, Croatian officials are even giving these men money as a reimbursement for the inconvenience of being detained.

The Croat government says it wants the Serbs to stay in the territories it has retaken - the detainees are each receiving 200 Kunas - about 40 U-S dollars.

Juri Radic, the Croat Minister for Social Security, said they were doing everything possible to return people back to their normal lives.

SOUNDBITE: (In Croat)
"This action here today is in accordance with the Croatian government's decision that as soon as this territory is liberated the civil authority has to function."
SUPER CAPTION: Josip Skara, Minister for Social Security

Croatia was hard at work today to improve its image after having detained the men.

The local Croatian Red Cross was present in the villages nearby Pakrac, distributing food and essentials to Serbs in the recaptured areas.

Croatian authorities appeared keen to reassure Serbs and the international community that they would not abuse human rights.

Some teenage detainees back in their village of Gavrinica, near Pakrac, said they had been treated well during the roundup.

SOUNDBITE:
"It was all ok, they gave us food and drink and all we needed, including cigarettes. We were treated well."
SUPER CAPTION: Dejan Maletic, 18 year old released detainee

Still, in Pakrac, Croatian soldiers showed off captured Serb weapons.

Serb fighters in Pakrac surrendered on Thursday after a short but intense skirmish with Croatian troops.

After a 1991 civil war, during which Serb soldiers took over about a third of Croatia, half the town of Pakrac became Serb-controlled.

The town remained divided by the warring parties until this week, when a surprise Croatian attack cut off thousands of Serbs on their side of Pakrac.

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