THE HAGUE, July 26 (Hina) - Croatian General Ante Gotovina is accused of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war committed against Serbs during 1995's Operation Storm, UN's war-crimes tribunal at The
Hague said on Thursday after a panel of judges granted the request of the Office of the Prosecutor to unseal the secret indictment.
THE HAGUE, July 26 (Hina) - Croatian General Ante Gotovina is
accused of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and
customs of war committed against Serbs during 1995's Operation
Storm, UN's war-crimes tribunal at The Hague said on Thursday after
a panel of judges granted the request of the Office of the
Prosecutor to unseal the secret indictment.#L#
"Between 17 July 1995 and 15 November 1995, Ante Gotovina, acting
individually and/or in concert with others, including President
Franjo Tudjman, planned, instigated, ordered, committed or
otherwise aided and abetted in the planning, preparation or
execution of the crimes charged below in the course of, and after,
the "Oluja" (Storm) offensive" the indictment reads.
The retired general is charged on both personal and commanding
responsibility.
Gotovina was commander of operations in the part of Storm taking
place in the United Nations Protected Area Sector South, and
commander of the Split Military District. "In this capacity, he was
in overall charge and in command and control of the Croatian forces
which were involved in the Operation" between Aug. 4 and Nov. 15,
1999.
Gotovina is charged with the persecution, killing and harassing of
the Croatian Serb population, the destruction and plundering of
their property.
The indictment says he had been warned by representatives of
international organisations about the serious violations of
international humanitarian law committed by persons under his
command during and after Storm, and that he did not take the
necessary measures to prevent such violations or punish the
perpetrators.
The document says that "at all times relevant to this indictment, a
state of armed conflict existed in the Krajina region of the
Republic of Croatia in the territory of the former Yugoslavia."
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