ZAGREB, April 4 (Hina) - A former prime minister of the Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna, Jadranko Prlic, who was charged by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague with individual and command responsibility for war crimes during the
war in Bosnia, said in a public statement on Sunday that he was "appalled at the accusations", however, he was confident that he would "not only prove his innocence, but the true goal and purpose of the temporary body of authority" in Bosnia-Herzegovina at the time.
ZAGREB, April 4 (Hina) - A former prime minister of the Croatian
Republic of Herceg-Bosna, Jadranko Prlic, who was charged by the UN
war crimes tribunal in The Hague with individual and command
responsibility for war crimes during the war in Bosnia, said in a
public statement on Sunday that he was "appalled at the accusations",
however, he was confident that he would "not only prove his innocence,
but the true goal and purpose of the temporary body of authority" in
Bosnia-Herzegovina at the time.#L#
Prlic says in the statement that it is normal for him to appear before
the tribunal because the government which he headed in 1993 had
supported the proposal for the establishment of the tribunal.
He also believes that his work was "correct and consistent" and that
he was the first to state that Bosnia-Herzegovina could be an
independent state.
"The establishment of the system of Herceg-Bosna, in the segment of
the executive authority in which I participated, was the most honest
attempt to build a just, common state, whose citizens would live much
better than it is the case today, which I am ready to prove".
"The establishment of that system could not have led to crimes in any
way. I am ready to defend the rights of thousands of people who died
for their freedom".
Prlic describes the indictment as "very serious, too ambitious and, as
such, a basis for proceedings before the Hague tribunal which should
lead to the truth and result in the punishment of the perpetrators".
He also expresses surprise at the accusations linked to his name, but
is confident that he will prove his innocence.
"This is in no way an attempt to justify war crimes," he says.
"I requested on several occasions that crimes be prevented and their
perpetrators punished, so that nothing could question the noble goals
of the struggle for freedom in which we took part".
"I am leaving for The Hague confident that I will be able to defend
the truth, which nothing, including present accusations, can bring
into question".
"I expect that the position of the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina
will be in line with my attitude to that country before, during and
after the war," Prlic says in the statement.
Along with Prlic, generals Slobodan Praljak and Milivoj Petkovic, and
Bruno Stojic, Berislav Pusic and Valentin Coric will also leave for
The Hague on Monday.
(Hina) rml sb