Police Guard Zagorec’s Family in Vienna

After the murder of Ivana Hodak, Zagorec’s Austrian attorney Elizabeth Rech voiced doubt that Zagorec would be tried fairly in Croatia.

ZAGREB, CROATIA - - The Austrian police have assessed that the situation is very dangerous and requested personal protection for members of Zagorec’s family – attorney Rech said for the Croatian Television.

After the retired Croatian general, Vladimir Zagorec, was extradited to Croatia from Austria last week, the daughter of his attorney, Zvonimir Hodak, was killed in front of her home on Monday. The motives and circumstances of the murder of Ivana Hodak are unknown for now, but the media and public are speculating that it could be related to the Zagorec case.

Attorney Rech does not exclude that this murder is a message for Zagorec. Answering the question what kind of defence Zagorec can have now that his attorney’s work has been threatened with the murder of his daughter, Rech said she hoped that there was a courageous and determined attorney that could take on the case in Croatia.

European Commission concerned over the situation 

Rech said that after the murder happened, she had immediately informed Austrian authorities and the European Commission about it. She said the people she talked to were very concerned. She doubts that the process of her client in Croatia can be fair after this murder.

Vladimir Zagorec is suspected of having stolen five million dollars worth of diamonds when he was assistant defence minister in 2002. The diamonds were placed in the ministry’s safe as collateral for the money for the purchase of weapons that was to be used for the defence of Croatia.

Rech said that her client can only be tried in Croatia for the stealing of diamonds, for which he was extradited to Croatia.

The attorney said that after the recent events she had not contacted Zagorec, that she is trying to get permission to visit him at Zagreb’s Remetinec prison and that she will continue to do so. After she visits him she will decide what to do next in the case.