NEW YORK, Oct 30 (Hina) - In her introductory speech before the UN Security Council on Tuesday, the chief prosecutor of the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Carla Del Ponte, said that the biggest problem in the tribunal's work was
the failure of state authorities, including Croatia's, to arrest war crimes indictees.
NEW YORK, Oct 30 (Hina) - In her introductory speech before the UN
Security Council on Tuesday, the chief prosecutor of the UN war
crimes tribunal in The Hague, Carla Del Ponte, said that the biggest
problem in the tribunal's work was the failure of state
authorities, including Croatia's, to arrest war crimes indictees.
#L#
"In June 2001... as an expression of trust, I gave the Croatian
Government advanced notice of a sealed indictment against General
Ante Gotovina," Del Ponte said.
"My trust was misplaced - he was allowed to evade arrest and
according to various reliable sources he is now enjoying a safe
haven in the territory of Croatia," she added.
The prosecutor's disappointment with the case of Janko Bobetko was
similar.
"In May this year I again provided the Croatian authorities with
advanced notice of an imminent indictment against General
Bobetko."
"Instead of compliance with the Tribunal's order, the Croatian
Government has taken upon itself to seek to challenge the warrant
and the indictment itself. We next heard that the general's health
does not permit his travel to The Hague," the prosecutor said,
calling this "delay and obstruction". "The attitude of Croatia is
unacceptable," she noted.
(hina) rml