Speaking at a press conference in Zagreb after a meeting of the Croatian-Bosnian Intergovernmental Council, Mesic recalled that the ICJ had found that the crimes committed by Bosnian Serb forces against Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica, eastern Bosnia, in the summer of 1995 constituted genocide, but that Serbia was exonerated of direct responsibility for the massacres.
"Who is guilty of genocide, who committed war crimes, that should be established by our courts or the tribunal in The Hague. Whether the Hague tribunal will continue its work will depend on whether all the people indicted by the tribunal will be apprehended," Mesic said.
"There are different opinions in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the ICJ judgement, but everyone agrees that court rulings, whether we like them or not, should be enforced, and in my opinion, they should be in the function of a stable life here in the future," Radmanovic said.
When asked if the ICJ ruling might affect the constitutional organisation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Radmanovic said: "I don't think it can, but we in the Presidency don't have the same views about it. I think it should be regarded as Bosnia and Herzegovina's internal affair, a matter of those who live in it."
"Bosnia and Herzegovina's citizens and politicians are mature enough to make their own decisions on the internal organisation of their country, just as they decide by themselves about the country's path to the European Union," he added.
Commenting on the possible extension of the ICTY's mandate, Radmanovic said: "We're not the ones who founded it, who decided the term of its office or who have been financing it," but there is a common position that "all war crimes indictees must be brought to justice." He added that this did not apply only to the Hague tribunal, because the Bosnian war crimes court was already operating very successfully.
Meanwhile, Croatian war veterans' organisations and representatives of the association of mothers from the eastern Bosnian towns of Srebrenica and Zepa lit candles in Zagreb's central Trg Bana Jelacica square on Saturday in protest at the ICJ ruling.
The Croatian organisations expressed their support for Croatia's lawsuit against Serbia and Montenegro before the ICJ.
Women lit candles by a coffin symbolising international justice. "International justice is dead. Aggression has been legalised. Genocide has been committed and has been legalised," said a proclamation that was read out at the rally.
"For the first time in the history of humankind the international community has established new legal standards, saying that crime has been committed, but without punishing the perpetrator. Up until the 21st century the world could recognise between the aggressor and the victim. In the 21st century international justice does not recognise between the aggressor and the perpetrator of the crime," the proclamation said.