ZAGREB, July 15 (Hina) - During Sunday's parliamentary session, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan retold the contents of a letter he had recently forwarded to UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY) with his objections to the two indictments
served by the ICTY to Zagreb in early June. "The government's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal does not mean that the government endorses the indictment, and in the court process we shall do our best to help defend indictees in segments (of the indictments) we cannot accept," Racan told the parliament which should hold a vote of confidence in the Racan Cabinet in the later course of the session. Telling MPs about the contents of his letter in his own words, Racan revealed that he had opposed an assessment that the indictees had planned and encouraged the persecution, eviction and deportation of a part of the ethnic Serb population during the 1995 liberati
ZAGREB, July 15 (Hina) - During Sunday's parliamentary session,
Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan retold the contents of a letter
he had recently forwarded to UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY) with his
objections to the two indictments served by the ICTY to Zagreb in
early June.
"The government's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal does not mean
that the government endorses the indictment, and in the court
process we shall do our best to help defend indictees in segments
(of the indictments) we cannot accept," Racan told the parliament
which should hold a vote of confidence in the Racan Cabinet in the
later course of the session.
Telling MPs about the contents of his letter in his own words, Racan
revealed that he had opposed an assessment that the indictees had
planned and encouraged the persecution, eviction and deportation
of a part of the ethnic Serb population during the 1995 liberating
operation "Storm".
He said he also objected to a remark that during and in the wake of
the Storm, the cumulative effect of the illegal acts (such as
killings, plunder and so on) led to a large-scale deportation
and/or expulsion of Krajina Serbs. There were allegations that
150,000 fled the area then.
Premier expressed the government's readiness to use all the
possible legal means, and announced it would use an institute which
make it possible for his cabinet to interfere in the process of
trial. A trial chamber can allow a government to appear and expound
its stand on any case.
Racan reiterated that Zagreb would continue cooperating with the
Tribunal, and that the conflict with the UN court would entail the
conflict with the international community, the isolation of the
country and sanctions.
"I maintain that those who advocate such developments betray
national interests," Racan said in his speech.
At the end of his speech Racan asked the Sabor to give support to the
government's policy of the respect for its international
commitments as well as to its more resolute bids to carry out
reforms.
(hina) ms