Zagreb, October 19th, 2021
During the eConsultation period for the Policy about the realization of the status and the rights of civilian war victims from the Homeland War, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights delivered a general comment, which can be seen in its entirety down below:
We use this opportunity to remind about the necessity of applying the Law on civilian victims of the Homeland War in the spirit of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, namely the principle of national equality, with the aim of achieving the status and the rights of all civilian war victims and without putting individuals or groups at a disadvantage.
While the law itself, and consequently the Policy too, contain wording that might suggest the exclusion of certain groups of victims, we believe that the competent authorities will apply the law with a sincere desire to use the enactment of the law as a turning point in history in which, as a serious and developed democratic society, we take responsibility for achieving reparations for all victims.
Having in mind the experiences of civilian victims of war which clearly indicate their own double disadvantage, primarily due to the damage they suffered, and then due to the impossibility of exercising their rights, we instruct the competent ministry to respect the provisions of which the Republic of Croatia is bound by signed and ratified international conventions, which regulate the issue of achieving the status and rights of civilian victims when applying the law.
Likewise, survivors and families of victims need and deserve moral compensation and social support in the form of psychosocial assistance, as well as other measures that we hope to see soon as part of a strategic document focused on a comprehensive approach to reparations to victims.