HRVATSKI SUDE ZAŠTO NE SUDIŠ KRVNICIMA A NE BRANITELJIMA
Tomislav Mercep
Almost 11.00 a.m. Saturday 4th March 2017 in Zagreb, Croatia and I looked through the window of the Airbus that brought me here from Australia. Restless chest heaves with joy, a handful of years had gone by. At times life deals the deck of cards riddled with why and because and there’s nothing we can do about it (?). Ah, but what joy I see though that window: Airport Franjo Tudjman! The brilliance of Croatia’s defense against Serb aggression shines through this name on this important airport.And then – sadness. So much still to be lifted again into the shining, brilliant light. So many of communist remnants digging deep wounds still; distorting truth, hiding it, poisoning…The case of Tomislav Mercep comes to mind! On 13 February 2017, the Croatian Supreme Court, that was hearing Mercep’s final appeal, convicted him of committing war crimes. Mercep served in the 1990s as an assistant to interior minister Ivan Vekic and as the unofficial commander of the reservist police battalion ‘Mercepovci’. The appeal court rejected all the claims made by Mercep, which included Mercep’s claims that the interviews conducted with him by various journalists at the time, and used as evidence in the trial for war crimes against him, are due to lack of their authorization, illegal or inadmissible evidence. But the court took the opinion that these were classical interviews, published in various media outlets.Given the obscenely anti-Croatian independence yellow press of the time such as the notorious, pro-communist, pro-Yugoslavia, and to my taste - sickening, “Feral Tribune”, which seemed incapable of seeing the truth even if it bit it on the buttock, the Croatian Supreme Court’s evidently high regard for that weekly newspaper is, as far as I’m concerned (and many others) – nothing short of travesty of justice.When the whole truth, or even a part of it, is distorted through giving credence to the ultimate insults against the Croatian leadership that defended Croatia from the brutal and bloody Serb aggression as was dished out regularly by Feral Tribune – one cannot but amplify the feeling of alarm and fret for true justice in Croatia.The court also rejected Mercep’s claims that his right to a defense was breached and that the court had erred in its finding of the facts.The Supreme Court 13 February 2017 upheld the conviction rendered in May 2016 by the Zagreb county court after a 4-year domestic trial for war crimes and raised the sentence from 5.5 year to 7 year imprisonment. Mister Mercep was accused “of not preventing the Mercepovci (the defenders of Croatia from Serb and Yugoslav Army onslaught under his command) from detaining, torturing and killing 43 mainly Serb civilians at the Zagreb Trade Fair, Kutina in central Croatia and Pakracka Poljana in western Slavonia in late 1991.The presiding judge at Zagreb county court Zdravko Majerovic, said last year that Mercep did not stop the unit from committing the crimes, “giving them silent approval for the misdeeds”, even when he was not physically present at the crime scenes. Reactions to the appeal verdict have been varied – for and against; as such things go.“The judgment against the defender of Vukovar, Gospic and Pakrac is yet another proof of the morbidity of the un-lustrated ‘Croatian’ judiciary,” said Velimir Bujanec, host of a popular Osijek TV current affairs show “Bujica”. “While Tomo (Mercep) bled on the most difficult of war-fronts for the freedom of all of us, the judges who have convicted him, were dreaming of survival of Yugoslavia. We do not believe a single word from this shameful Supreme Court judgment, we don’t believe the ‘witnesses’ that were briefed by Josip Manolic and Josip Perkovic (former communist Yugoslavia secret service operatives), and the motives of the notorious leftists from the State Attorney’s office are all too clear to us… Be ashamed – Croatia,” Bujanec commented.
Ina Vukic
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Jeff Sessions got caught blatantly lying under oath about his meetings with the Russian government while they were hacking our election.(1)
And now, the very same Republicans who impeached President Bill Clinton for not telling the truth about sex want to pretend that what Sessions did is no big deal.
No way. Perjury is a crime, and we're not letting them sweep this under the rug.
Last week, Courage Campaign members packed town hall meetings all over the country demanding that Republicans do their job. And for those lawmakers too gutless to face their constituents, we organized "search party" vigils and rallies in their hometowns that got tons of press and made them look even worse.(2) The more that constituents take action, the more we show that the Republican politicians are not serving their voters.
We're expanding our team of campaigners so we can mobilize those kinds of grassroots actions in even more Congressional districts. Will you chip in today?
This isn't just some embarrassing political scandal. It goes to the heart of the legitimacy of Donald Trump's presidency.
Seventeen U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that the Russians hacked the election in an attempt to help Trump.(3)
During the campaign, Trump openly called on the Russians to conduct these cyberattacks. And now we know that at the very same time this was happening, representatives of the Russian government were speaking not only with Sessions but with Trump's senior adviser Michael Flynn, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and who knows who else.
Even George W. Bush’s top White House ethics lawyer says Sessions should resign.(4)
But Republicans are putting their party before their country, ignoring their constituents as well as enabling Trump to continue to put his businesses before the good of the American people.
We're demanding that Republicans do their job and hold the Trump administration accountable. That means we need a full investigation into Trump's collaboration with Russia to hack the election. We need to finally see his tax returns to see his business ties to Russia. And Jeff Sessions must go.
Yours in the resistance,
Emma, along with Annie, Brenna, Caitlin, Cassie, Cheyenne, Eddie, Kelsey, Molly, Raquel, Tim, Scottie, and William (the Courage team)
Like what we do? Chip in to help fund the fight for a more progressive nation. Or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
Courage Campaign fights for a more progressive California and country. We are an online community powered by more than 1.3 million members.
http://www.couragecampaign.org?akid=3890.2124112.r3ZpZm
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The Bacardi Cup 2017 is about to start in Miami, Florida and the Star Sailors Leaguemedia crew is getting ready to bring you into the action with the latest in hi-tech camera technology, as well as Virtual Eye 3D Graphics and expert commentators both on the water and in studio will provide thrilling viewing.
The first warning signal of the 90th edition of the historic regatta, that first took place in the Cuban waters of Havana, will blow tomorrow March 6th at 11,55 local time – if the strong North-East wind blowing over 22 knots will calm down, proving wrong the weather forecast. A six days challenge in the traditional Star Class format with one 2.2 miles race per day, attracts every year some of the best Star Sailors in the world atCoral Reef Yacht Club.
Last year's winner is back without his skipper: Frithjof Kleen from Germany will be sailing with Jack Jennings from Chigago, Illinois. The Bacardi Cup 2014 and 2015 winner and President of the ISCYRA Lars Grael and crew Samuel F M Gonçalves are also back here to try to win the 3,000 points worth for the SSL Ranking.
For the first time at Bacardi Cup, the SSL, is giving out as many points as any other SSL Grand Slam to the winner and this event will be a test for the SSL Sea Grand Slam, the one that takes inspiration from traditional regattas celebrating the championsthat are the inshore regattas legends with long routes and races, not more than 2 per day, lasting up to two hours.
Local champions have been training here in Miami in the past week, before the wind conditions got too tough even for these heroes. The reigning Star World Champion Augie Diaz and Brazilian crew Bruno Prada, Lars Grael and Jack Jennings have been sailing watched by three-times World Champion coach Luca Modena.
The two times winner of SSL Finals (2014/2016) Mark Mendelblatt has also arrived and is tuning his boat with other winners of previous Star Sailors League events: Xavier Rohart (2 times World Champion 2003/2005 and Bronze Medalist Athenes 2004)& Pierre-Alexis Ponsot who won the SSL City Grand Slam 2016 in Hamburg, Germany and the 2012 Bacardi Cup; George Szabo (World Champion 2009)winner of the SSL Lake Grand Slam and SSL Finals 2015 flew in Miami from San Diego, California to meet Italian crew Edoardo Natucci to get their boat ready.
The vice-president of the International Star Class Yacht Racing Associationand 2016 Star Sailors League finalist Hubert Merkelbach is sailing with the #1 crew of the SSL Ranking Sergio Lambertenghi (2nd at the Worlds 2014/2015/2016 and 2nd at the 2016 Bacardi Cup. SSL Finalists Eivind Melleby (2013/2014/2015) & Joshua Revkin (2013/2014/2015/2016) are back sailing together as they were at the 2016 SSL City Grand Slam in Hamburg, Germany where they finished 2nd. Another 2015 SSL Finalist Brian Ledbetter will be sailing with Eric Ledbetter.
Some younger sailors will also be on the star line tomorrow: Luke Lawrence & Ian Coleman who finished 5th at the 2016 Worlds and 2015 Star Sailors League finalists will be there along with Tomas Hornos (2012 Western Hemisphere Champion and 2013 Star Sailors League finalist) & Stuart MacIntosh.
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