THE HAGUE, Nov 20 (Hina) - The ICTY Appeals Chamber is considering Croatia's court depositions in the Bobetko case and a ruling might be expected soon, Goran Mikulicic, the Croatian government's legal representative in the case of
retired general Janko Bobetko, indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), said on Wednesday.
THE HAGUE, Nov 20 (Hina) - The ICTY Appeals Chamber is considering
Croatia's court depositions in the Bobetko case and a ruling might
be expected soon, Goran Mikulicic, the Croatian government's legal
representative in the case of retired general Janko Bobetko,
indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY), said on Wednesday. #L#
A spokesman for the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal, Jim
Landale, stated at a news conference on Wednesday that he could not
say when the Appeals Chamber would make a decision on the Croatian
requests and added that no public session of the Chamber had been
scheduled.
It can be concluded that the Croatian depositions were being
considered at closed sessions and that the Appeals Chamber will
announce its ruling in written form.
After the ICTY issued an indictment against the retired 83-year-old
General Bobetko in September, Zagreb forwarded the two depositions
to the ICTY asking it to reconsider a warrant for the general's
arrest and his indictment as well.
The ICTY Prosecution charges Bobetko with war crimes committed
during the liberating operation in the Medak Pocket in 1993.
Zagreb believes that Bobetko's participation in the entire process
could have been ensured with more lenient measures such as a summons
for an interview.
Croatia also believes that by confirming the indictment, a judge
implicitly confirmed incorrect allegations that the Medak Pocket
operation was planned as an illegal action for the accomplishment
of criminal goals.
The ICTY President, Claude Jorda, in October decided to set up the
five-member Appeals Chamber to consider and rule on the Croatian
requests.