ZAGREB, Oct 26 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has said that he believes that General Ante Gotovina, who has been indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague, is in Croatia, otherwise other countries would have
already handed him over.
ZAGREB, Oct 26 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has said
that he believes that General Ante Gotovina, who has been indicted
by the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague, is in Croatia, otherwise
other countries would have already handed him over. #L#
"I do not know which information the tribunal's prosecutor Carla
Del Ponte has, but I assume that Gen. Gotovina is in Croatia,
because had he left the country, he would have been extradited,"
Mesic said on Saturday at a meeting with citizens at his office,
when asked to comment on Del Ponte's statement that Gotovina was
occasionally seen in Croatia.
Mesic said that it was only understandable that all who fought for
Croatia should abide by its laws and assumed obligations.
"One should face the truth and answer the tribunal's questions,"
said Mesic. "That is how courage is demonstrated. Hiding from the
law isn't courage, answering the questions is," said the President,
adding that with such a stand Gotovina could help his family and
Croatia.
Asked to comment on members of the national war veterans'
headquarters camping daily outside Bobetko's house, claiming they
would prevent the handing of a tribunal indictment to Bobetko,
Mesic said that all who had fought for Croatia had fought for its
institutions.
Some people, who today have such an attitude to Croatian
legislation, would apply laws selectively if they came to power, he
said.
"The law-based state and civilised society do not recognise that,
but those who are trying, in this way, to make Bobetko's life a hell
and depict Croatia as a country that it isn't, are not solving
Bobetko's problem. They could not care less about Bobetko," Mesic
said.
Mesic believes that such people care only about their own problems,
some of them fighting for privileges and others trying to keep the
acquired ones, but all trying to prevent the implementation of
laws.
The President believes that Wednesday's meeting between Prime
Minister Ivica Racan and Prosecutor Del Ponte was good,
particularly because Croatia entered a legal dispute with the
tribunal, which Mesic said the country had the right to do.
(hina) rml sb