ZAGREB, Nov 29 (Hina) - Leaders of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), Democratic Centre (DC) and the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) on Friday stated that the ICTY Appeals Chamber's decision to reject appeals filed by the Croatian
government with regard to the indictment against General Janko Bobetko was not unexpected.
ZAGREB, Nov 29 (Hina) - Leaders of the Istrian Democratic Assembly
(IDS), Democratic Centre (DC) and the Croatian Party of Rights
(HSP) on Friday stated that the ICTY Appeals Chamber's decision to
reject appeals filed by the Croatian government with regard to the
indictment against General Janko Bobetko was not unexpected. #L#
"Only naive people could have believed that the Hague would act
differently," IDS vice-president Damir Kajin said. The government
acted correctly when it submitted the appeals and believed in
General Bobetko's innocence, however, once all legal possibilities
have been exhausted before the Hague-based tribunal, anyone called
up has to co-operate, Kajin said.
Kajin believes the same procedure will also be applied in the
future, which he says the Croatian Constitutional Court's decision
confirming the tribunal's jurisdiction bears witness to.
The IDS official says the fact that international institutions do
not believe in the credibility of Croatia's judiciary is a serious
problem. The basis for such an attitude has been provided by the
recent war crimes trial in Split, he said.
HSP president Anto Djapic does not consider the Chamber's decision
surprising.
"Their decision is unacceptable because General Bobetko is
seriously ill, however, it is even worse that the Tribunal rejected
the Croatian government's objections to certain sections of the
indictment referring to ethnic cleansing in the Medak Pocket,"
Djapic said.
This shows that the Hague Tribunal is an instrument of political
pressure used against Croatia whenever it tried to prevent attempts
to revise its recent history, he added.
The only way out, Djapic said, was a referendum at which Croatian
citizens would decide about future forms of co-operation with the
Tribunal.
The Appeals Chamber's decision is not unexpected and it will have
far-reaching consequences for other cases, too, because future
objections by the government will be rejected as well, said DC
leader Mate Granic.
According to Granic, the government must refer to Article 59 of the
Tribunal's Statute, which means that it can be expected that an ICTY
medical team will come to check General Bobetko's condition and
establish if he is fit to stand trial.
(hina) sp rml sb