GOVT REFUSES REQUEST OF GOTOVINA'S ATTORNEYS

ZAGREB, Sept 10 (Hina) - The Croatian government has refused the request of ICTY indictee Ante Gotovina's attorneys that documents on Croatia's liberation operation "Storm", which have been forwarded to the Dutch-based war crimes tribunal, be made available to them, one of Gotovina's defence attorneys, Marijan Pedisic, said on Monday. He added Gotovina's defence team would issue a press release soon. Gotovina's attorneys submitted their request to the government in early September, citing a Law Practice Act regulation under which attorneys have the right to access documentation related to the process against their clients. The attorneys also cited a Croatian parliament declaration on cooperation with the ICTY under which "all documents must be made available to the Prosecution and the defence at the same time." Unnamed sources close to the government last week said the government would refuse the defence attorneys' request because their letters of attorney were questionable as long as their client was at large. They pointed to the ICTY's refusal to recognise the power of attorney of Radovan Karadzic's lawyer, because his client was at large. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has indicted retired Croatian Army general Ante Gotovina for crimes against humanity and violations of the law and customs of war after the 1995 "Storm" operation. The Croatian authorities issued an arrest warrant after Gotovina in July, and on August 21 Interpol issued its highest priority warrant, a so-called 'Red Notice', at the ICTY's request. (hina) it sb