ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - The appointment of a council of appeals at the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague in the case of indicted Croatian General Janko Bobetko shows that the Croatian government had legal means to contest
indictments against Generals Ante Gotovina and Rahim Ademi as well, the Croatian Bloc (HB) party said on Tuesday.
ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - The appointment of a council of appeals at
the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague in the case of indicted
Croatian General Janko Bobetko shows that the Croatian government
had legal means to contest indictments against Generals Ante
Gotovina and Rahim Ademi as well, the Croatian Bloc (HB) party said
on Tuesday. #L#
"In the case of General Gotovina's indictment, the government chose
a path that was not legal, wasting time with a letter to the chief
prosecutor, which is not a legal document, and overstepping
deadlines in which it could have, and was obliged to, lodge an
appeal and enter a legal dispute," the party said in a statement
signed by its president, Ivic Pasalic.
The statement adds that the indictments against Ademi, who awaits
trial, and Gotovina, who is at large, should be given to the
Constitutional Court for evaluation. HB expects this court will
finally rule on a demand by 50 MPs to evaluate if the constitutional
law on cooperation with the Hague tribunal complies with the
Constitution, namely to rule that decisions establishing how
founded indictments are to be transferred to national courts.
HB persists in its demand that these issues be settled in parliament
and by referendum, says the statement.
Gotovina's attorney Luka Misetic presented the same views in a
statement today.
Misetic expects the government will soon say who failed to take
legal action to contest the indictment against his client, in line
with Article 108 of the Hague tribunal's Statute and rules, and
why.
(hina) ha sb