50 MPS CONTEST CONSTITUTIONALITY OF LAW ON COOPERATION WITH ICTY

ZAGREB, Oct 24 (Hina) - The Constitutional Court on Wednesday received a request for the evaluation of the constitutionality of the Constitutional Law on Cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), submitted by 50 MPs. The content of the request is the same as that of another, submitted to the court in September by the defence attorneys of retired Croatian Army General Ante Gotovina, whose extradition the ICTY wants due to war crimes charges. Gotovina is at large and international and domestic warrants have been issued for his arrest. His defence attorneys openly say they are trying to prevent Gotovina's extradition to the ICTY by all legal means, among other things by contesting the constitutionality of Croatia's Constitutional Law on Cooperation with the ICTY. In their opinion, while ruling on the extradition of Croatian citizens to the Hague-based Tribunal, Croatian courts would have to establish if there is ground for suspicion that the crime the person is charged with has been committed and not only to establish the identity of the indictee and whether the ICTY is competent for the crime in question. The request for the evaluation of the Constitutional Law was signed by representatives of the Opposition's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Party of Rights (HSP), the Christian Democrats (HKDU), and several representatives of the Social Liberals (HSLS), one of the parties of the ruling coalition. The request has today been sent to the competent judge who can propose that it be forwarded to the parliament - the body which passed the regulation whose constitutionality is being disputed. The deadline for parliament to reply is 60 days. (hina) it sb