Vladimir Šeks

Vladimir Šeks
6th Speaker of Croatian Parliament
In office
22 December 2003 – 11 January 2008
Preceded by Zlatko Tomčić
Succeeded by Luka Bebić
Leader of the Opposition (Acting)
In office
27 January 2000 – 30 April 2000
Preceded by Dražen Budiša
Succeeded by Ivo Sanader
Personal details
Born 1 January 1943 (1943-01-01) (age 69)
Osijek, Independent State of Croatia
Political party Croatian Democratic Union
Religion Roman Catholic

Vladimir Šeks (born Osijek, 1 January 1943) is an influential Croatian politician, a member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). He has been a representative in the Croatian Parliament since the nation's independence, and has held the posts of the Speaker of the Parliament as well as Deputy Prime Minister of the Government.

Šeks graduated from the Law Faculty in Zagreb in 1966. From 1972 to 1981 he worked as an attorney. In 1981 he was arrested for "anti-state actions" against communist Yugoslavia. He served 13 months in prison which he served at Stara Gradiška.

In 1990, Vladimir Šeks was one of the founders of the Osijek branch of the Croatian Democratic Union. In 1991, he was a notable figure in the Croatian War of Independence, and he was also one of the main drafters of the Constitution of Croatia. In 1992, he was named the State Prosecutor of the Republic of Croatia.

Vladimir Šeks has been among the deputies of the President of the Government of Croatia under Hrvoje Šarinić and Nikica Valentić from 1992 to 1995.

Šeks served as the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament from 22 December 2003 to 11 January 2008.

Šeks's 25-year-old son Domagoj, was found dead in Goa, India on 26 February 2005 after he was reported missing by friends a day earlier. The exact circumstances of his death were never determined.[1]

In 2009, Šeks testified in the Branimir Glavaš trial as a witness for the defence, and his testimony was later dismissed by the presiding judge as "completely implausible", while the court rendered a guilty verdict.[2][3] In 2010, Amnesty International stated Šeks should be prosecuted based on the other testimonies in the Glavaš trial.[4][5] In January 2011 the Ministry of Justice responded to the AI report saying their conclusions were "arbitrary and wrong" in the case of Šeks.[6]

Honours

Party political offices
Preceded by
Franjo Tuđman		 President of Croatian Democratic Union (acting)
5 January 2000 – 30 April, 2000		 Succeeded by
Ivo Sanader
Political offices
Preceded by
Zlatko Tomčić		 Speaker of the Croatian Parliament
2003 – 11 January 2008		 Succeeded by
Luka Bebić

References

  1. ^ "Uporna potraga za ubojicom Domagoja Šeksa" (in Croatian). Jutarnji list. 2006-05-29. http://www.jutarnji.hr/template/article/article-print.jsp?id=220811. Retrieved 2010-05-08. 
  2. ^ "Šeks na suđenju Glavašu: Ne znam ništa o zločinima u Osijeku" (in Croatian). Slobodna Dalmacija. 2009-02-05. http://www.slobodnadalmacija.hr/Hrvatska/tabid/66/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/40903/Default.aspx. Retrieved 2010-12-09. 
  3. ^ "Svjedoci obmane: Šeks i Kramarić lagali na suđenju Glavašu" (in Croatian). Nacional. 2009-11-03. http://www.nacional.hr/clanak/70584/sud-otkrio-istinu-seks-i-kramaric-lagali-na-sudenju-glavasu. Retrieved 2010-12-09. 
  4. ^ "Amnesty o ratnim zločinima: Zašto su Šeks, Merčep i Domazet nedodirljivi?" (in Croatian). Jutarnji list. 2010-12-08. http://www.jutarnji.hr/najnovije-izvjesce-amnesty-internationala--seks--mercep-i-domazet-ne-smiju-ostati-nedodirljivi/909992/. Retrieved 2010-12-09. 
  5. ^ "Croatia urged to speed up war crimes prosecutions". Amnesty International. 2010-12-09. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/croatia-urged-speed-war-crimes-prosecutions-2010-12-09. Retrieved 2010-12-09. 
  6. ^ "Ministarstvo pravosuđa: Haag nije tražio Lošu, ali radimo izvide" (in Croatian). Večernji list. 2011-01-18. http://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/ministarstvo-pravosuda-haag-nije-trazio-losu-ali-radimo-izvide-clanak-241146. Retrieved 2011-01-28. 
  7. ^ "Mesić odlikovao Šeksa najvišim odličjem koji može dobiti predsjednik parlamenta" (in Croatian). Index.hr. 2008-12-29. http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/mesic-odlikovao-seksa-najvisim-odlicjem-koji-moze-dobiti-predsjednik-parlamenta/415352.aspx. Retrieved 2010-05-08.