Several members of the Autochthonous Croatian Party of Rights (A-HSP) protested outside the government office in Zagreb on Tuesday, claiming that the government and the ruling Social Democratic Party (SDP) were protecting former Yugoslav secret service (UDBA) agent Josip Perkovic, who is wanted by Germany in connection with the murder of a Croatian emigrant 30 years ago.
The protesters presented a protest letter to the government saying that the Croatian branch of UDBA had been involved in the murders of Croatian emigrants until the 1990s, citing "unresolved political murders such as those of HSP vice-president Ante Paradzik, (Osijek police chief) Josip Reihl-Kir and others."
This non-parliamentary party says that Croatia had handed over to the Hague war crimes tribunal generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac and others, but that "this rule does not apply to the communist UDBA agent Josip Perkovic."
The protesters, led by A-HSP leader Drazen Keleminec, also presented a copy of their protest letter to the German Embassy.
On June 28 the Croatian Parliament passed the law on judicial cooperation in criminal matters with EU countries, sparking criticism over the provision limiting the scope of the European Arrest Warrant to crimes committed after 7 August 2002. The law was popularly dubbed "Lex Perkovic" because it is believed that the time limit was introduced to prevent the extradition of Josip Perkovic to Germany where he is wanted for his role in the murder of Croatian emigrant Stjepan Djurekovic in 1983.
The SDP has in the meantime proposed constitutional amendments to lift the statute of limitations on politically motivated murders.
Perkovic has told the Vecernji List daily in an interview that he has nothing to do with the Djurekovic murder and that he did not commit the crimes he is suspected of. He said he was willing to answer any questions from German prosecutors provided they came to Zagreb, and that he was ready to testify before a Munich court "under certain conditions".
