ICTY REPORT: CROATIA COOPERATES, BUT IS SOMETIMES SELECTIVE, SLOW

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, Oct 9 (Hina) - Croatia's cooperation with the Hague tribunal (ICTY) is improving, even though it is sometimes selective and slow, reads the annual report on the work of the ICTY, submitted to the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday. It is also noted in the report that Croatia allowed indicted General Ante Gotovina to escape. #L# In the part dedicated to the activities of the ICTY Prosecutor's Office and cooperation of concerned countries with the tribunal emphasis is placed on insufficient progress with regard to the arrest and extradition of indictees, particularly Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and Ante Gotovina. The Republic of Croatia, which had to arrest only one, well-known indictee, has allowed that person to escape after unsuccessful negotiations on his surrender to the tribunal, the report said. The Croatian authorities are also criticised for failing to immediately act on the indictment and arrest warrant issued for the late General Janko Bobetko, who was never served with the indictment or the arrest warrant. As regards Croatia's overall cooperation with the tribunal, the report says that the cooperation offered by Croatian authorities continues to improve even though it is sometimes selective and slow. The ICTY report, covering the period between August 2002 and July 2003, says that Croatia has helped the tribunal in exhumations and forensic researches and that access to archives and witnesses is improving as well. It is emphasised in the report that problems still exist in obtaining urgent access to specific documents necessary for current investigations. The arrest of fugitive Ivica Rajic is assessed positively. Also assessed as good is cooperation between the ICTY Prosecutor's Office and the Croatian State Prosecutor's Office regarding war crimes trials before Croatian courts. (hina) it