The Zagreb County Court on Friday confirmed that it had received an indictment against retired general Ademi and Mirko Norac that charges them with war crimes against civilians and POWs during the Medak Pocket operation in southern Croatia in September 1993. The prosecution team that adjusted the indictment to Croatian laws after the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) referred the case to the national judiciary also asked that the indictees be detained pending further proceedings.
Norac is already serving a 12-year term in Glina prison after he was convicted of war crimes in Gospic, while Ademi was reelased from the ICTY-led detention centre in the Netherlands pending trial.
The head of the above-mentioned association, retired General Marinko Kresic, issued a statement on Saturday saying that "it is unacceptable that Croatia is taking into custody its army's generals who led the Homeland Defence War, while at the same time Chetnicks (ultra-nationalist Serb rebels) and terrorists who killed, massacred people and plundered and set the country on fire, can walk freely and or allowed to defend themselves in freedom, as the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor has not requested their detention."
In this context Kresic mentioned the case of war crimes against villagers in Siroka Kula near Gospic, claiming that although they were known, perpetrators of this crime were cleared of charges after the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor discontinued the proceedings against them.
The association insists that the Croatian Government ensures that Croatian generals and war veterans be allowed to defend themselves from freedom and that they be given all necessary assistance and support to protect themselves against false charges framed against them.