Communicated on 8 April 2014
FIRST SECTION
Application no. 39468/13
Josip OBAJDIN and Pavo OBAJDIN
against Croatia
lodged on 2 May 2013
STATEMENT OF FACTS
The applicants, Mr Josip Obajdin and Mr Pavo Obajdin, are Croatian nationals, who were born in 1983 and 1959 respectively and live in Ludbreg and Slunja. They are represented before the Court by Ms B. Jeličić Vnučec, a lawyer practising in Zagreb.
The circumstances of the case
The facts of the case, as submitted by the applicants, may be summarised as follows.
1. Background to the case
In 1991 the Homeland war escalated in Croatia. A part of Croatia was occupied by separatist Serbian forces. On a part of the occupied territories the so called “Serbian Independent Region Krajina” (hereinafter “the Krajina”) was formed. During the summer of 1995 Croatian authorities announced a military action “Storm” with aim to regain control of “Krajina”. The action started on 5 August.
2. Killing of the applicants’ relatives
On 7 August 1995 the applicants’ relatives Gordana Obajdin and Marija Vujčić were killed in their house in Slunj, a town on the territory of “Krajina”.
The investigation into their deaths is still pending.
COMPLAINT
The applicants complain under the procedural aspect of Article 2 of the Convention.
QUESTION TO THE PARTIES
Having regard to the procedural protection of the right to life, was the manner in which the criminal law mechanisms have been applied in the present case by the domestic authorities in breach of Article 2 of the Convention?
The Government are invited to submit copies of all case files and other documents concerning the killing of the applicants’ relatives.
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