ZAGREB, April 2 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on Friday confirmed that his cabinet had objections also to the latest indictment which the UN war crimes tribunal issued against four Bosnian Croats and that it did not accept
political allegations regarding the then Croatian state leadership and events in Bosnia in the 1990s.
ZAGREB, April 2 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on Friday confirmed
that his cabinet had objections also to the latest indictment which
the UN war crimes tribunal issued against four Bosnian Croats and that
it did not accept political allegations regarding the then Croatian
state leadership and events in Bosnia in the 1990s.#L#
"As in the case of indictments against generals Markac and Cermak, the
government most certainly does have objections to the new indictment,"
Sanader told reporters in the Croatian parliament.
As regards allegations on ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and a greater
Croatia, the PM said those were terms used by one side in the
proceedings, namely the ICTY prosecution. The prosecution can claim
what it wants, but it has to prove it before the court, Sanader
added.
In 1991, the then Croatian President Franjo Tudjman clearly told
Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina to vote for independent and sovereign
Bosnia-Herzegovina at a referendum on the matter, the Croatian PM
said.
He reiterated that the government would offer logistic and legal
assistance to all indictees, and that it would engage itself in the
best possible way in efforts to defend the truth about the Homeland
Defence War and events in the 1990s.
He went on to say that Zagreb had the right to be involved in the
proceedings in the way it felt was the best, and that several options
were available, including as friend of the court or observer. The
decision on which one to choose will be made in consultations with
Croatian and foreign legal experts, he added.
(Hina) ms sb