On 17 September a delegation consisting of His Grace Bishop Irinej, Dr. Mark Marinković, Ilija Glisić, and Mr. Jack Smit from Project SafeCom, met with key parliamentarians in Canberra. 

The purpose of the meetings were to further inform more politicians about the plight of Dragan Vasiljković (Daniel Snedden), who is most commonly known as Kapetan Dragan.  The delegation raised basic issues consisting of:

• Imprisonment for almost three years now, of an Australian citizen without charges being filed by Croatia or Australia

• The request for extradition to Croatia only list that they want Dragan Vasiljković in their custody while they investigate allegations against him
   
• The effects of incarceration for so long without knowing when there might be an end to that incarceration.

• Continued intimidation in Croatia against Orthodox Serbs, and the Orthodox Church, witnessed in person by His Grace

• The inability of Australia to guarantee the safety and rights of Dragan Vasiljković once in the custody of Croatia.

• The discretionary nature of the arrest and detention by former attorney general Phillip Ruddock, when there were other options open to him when the person involved doesn’t even have charges pressed against him.

• The Extradition Act, and its lack of security for citizens of Australia, which makes this a wider Australian issue, rather than a Serbian issue.

His Grace Bishop Irinej pointed out the humanitarian efforts of The Fonde Kapetana Dragana, and Dragan’s standing to the Serbian people.  The delegation left by asking for the parliamentarians assistance in this situation and further, for a review of The Extradition Act.  In general, the meetings were good, and the delegation felt they were well received and their points given a fair audience.

Serbs for Justice 26.09.2008