ZAGREB, Nov 18 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Ivica Racan on Monday rebutted insinuations about the government's treatment of General Ante Gotovina, accused by the ICTY of war crimes.
ZAGREB, Nov 18 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Ivica Racan on Monday
rebutted insinuations about the government's treatment of General
Ante Gotovina, accused by the ICTY of war crimes. #L#
In an interview to Croatian Radio Racan commented on some
allegations from a book written by an official of the Croatian True
Revival (HIP) party, Nenad Ivankovic. The excerpts in question were
quoted in some newspapers on Monday.
Ivankovic writes that Goran Granic (Deputy Prime Minister) and
Ivica Racan wanted the SFOR (NATO-led Stabilisation Force in
Bosnia-Herzegovina) to nab Gotovina, and that he turn himself in in
some other country rather than Croatia.
Ivankovic believes that Gotovina's surrender in Croatia would be
"politically risky" for the incumbent government and asserts that
this is the reason why "Racan and Granic have never thought of
extraditing Gotivina to The Hague-based tribunal".
Racan described Ivankovic's claims as insinuations against the
government.
The PM was confident that the Croatian authorities and police would
do what was required (to arrest Gotovina), if they knew Gotovina's
whereabouts.
He said the government was willing to take part in the process
before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) in order to challenge some parts of the
indictment against Gotovina.
(hina) ms sb