ZAGREB, Sept 17 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) maintains that all who committed war crimes must be prosecuted at the UN tribunal in The Hague, but does not accept commanding-objective responsibility, party president Ivo
Sanader said on Tuesday.
ZAGREB, Sept 17 (Hina) - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
maintains that all who committed war crimes must be prosecuted at
the UN tribunal in The Hague, but does not accept commanding-
objective responsibility, party president Ivo Sanader said on
Tuesday. #L#
Sanader was commenting on media speculation in connection with new
indictments from the tribunal and the mentioning of the name of Gen.
Janko Bobetko.
"A commander cannot be held accountable only because he is at the
top of the chain of command but did not order a crime some soldier
committed," Sanader told reporters.
This kind of approach towards the Hague tribunal makes the HDZ
different from the incumbent authorities, he said.
"According to that logic, many politicians should be held
accountable, including former President Franjo Tudjman," Sanader
said, adding that this constituted the politicising of the UN
tribunal.
To avoid politicising, the HDZ two weeks ago moved a bill of
amendments to the Constitutional Law on cooperation with the Hague
tribunal, in an attempt to urge the Croatian judiciary to examine if
indictments are justified before deciding on extradition, Sanader
recalled.
He called on the authorities and the opposition to endorse the
motion.
"What kind of politics allows Croatian generals, Janko Bobetko in
this case, to be the topic of speculation, perhaps even
indictments, again," wondered Sanader, stating that all should
abide by the Declaration on the Homeland War which states that the
1990s war was a just, legitimate, and defence war.
Sanader said the HDZ dismissed President Stjepan Mesic's statement
that all were guilty and that all should apologise to all. In that
case the truth about the Homeland War would be turned upside down,
he asserted.
(hina) ha sb