THE HAGUE, July 26 (Hina) - International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte, on the occasion of the indictments against Croatian General Ante Gotovina for crimes committed during the
Croatian military and police operation of "Storm" and General Rahim Ademi for crimes committed in the Medak Pocket, said the ICTY prosecutors were not taking any standpoints towards the legality of the military operations. The ICTY Chief Prosecutor is aware that the indictments against the two Croatian generals provoked hot debates in Croatia regarding the role of the tribunal in relation to the Homeland War, namely how armed conflicts are called in Croatia, read a statement issued in the ICTY headquarters. The United Nations Security Council, which established the tribunal by the Statute, limited the tribunal's competence to serious violations of the international humanitarian law, allegedly committed b
THE HAGUE, July 26 (Hina) - International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte, on the
occasion of the indictments against Croatian General Ante Gotovina
for crimes committed during the Croatian military and police
operation of "Storm" and General Rahim Ademi for crimes committed
in the Medak Pocket, said the ICTY prosecutors were not taking any
standpoints towards the legality of the military operations.
The ICTY Chief Prosecutor is aware that the indictments against the
two Croatian generals provoked hot debates in Croatia regarding the
role of the tribunal in relation to the Homeland War, namely how
armed conflicts are called in Croatia, read a statement issued in
the ICTY headquarters.
The United Nations Security Council, which established the
tribunal by the Statute, limited the tribunal's competence to
serious violations of the international humanitarian law,
allegedly committed by individuals in the former Yugoslavia after
1991. The tribunal is not competent for the issue of whether or not a
country has the right to use force in certain circumstances in order
to achieve goals and therefore the Chief Prosecutor is not taking a
standpoint, the statement read.
It is important to remember that even within a legitimate arm
conflict, an individual can harshly violate the international
humanitarian law by committing war crimes and crimes against
humanity, the statement read.
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