ZAGREB, Jan 28 (Hina) - The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Friday welcomed the change of policy toward the Tribunal, announced by the new Croatian Government, which was set up on Thursday.
Commenting on the statement by the new Foreign Minister Tonino Picula that the new government would respect the international obligations taken over by the old government toward the ICTY, including the recognition of the ICTY Prosecution's jurisdiction over investigations into criminal acts, ICTY spokesman Jim Landale told Hina in a phone interview this was extremely good news. We welcome any such piece of news, the Prosecution's spokesman Paul Risley told Hina from London. Asked how the communication between the new Croatian Government and the Hague would be established, Risley said the Prosecution expected the Government or the Croatian Embassy in The Hague to issue an official st
ZAGREB, Jan 28 (Hina) - The International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Friday welcomed the change of policy
toward the Tribunal, announced by the new Croatian Government,
which was set up on Thursday.
Commenting on the statement by the new Foreign Minister Tonino
Picula that the new government would respect the international
obligations taken over by the old government toward the ICTY,
including the recognition of the ICTY Prosecution's jurisdiction
over investigations into criminal acts, ICTY spokesman Jim Landale
told Hina in a phone interview this was extremely good news.
We welcome any such piece of news, the Prosecution's spokesman Paul
Risley told Hina from London.
Asked how the communication between the new Croatian Government and
the Hague would be established, Risley said the Prosecution
expected the Government or the Croatian Embassy in The Hague to
issue an official statement.
Risley declined to say what would happen with the request the
Prosecution submitted some ten days ago to the Trial Chamber
regarding the case "Kordic-Cerkez" that an order be issued to
Croatia binding it to appoint a competent person, possibly the
defence of justice minister, who should clarify the lack of
cooperation toward the Tribunal so far.
Risley said there was a large number of questions and the Tribunal
expected an official communication.
In August last year, acting upon the request of the Prosecution, the
ICTY reported Croatia to the U.N. Security Council, demanding that
measures be taken against Zagreb for its lack of cooperation, that
is, its failure to recognise ICTY's jurisdiction over
investigations into operations "Flash" and "Storm" and its failure
to hand-over the suspects.
The ICTY requests Croatia has failed to meet include the hand-over
of Mladen Naletilic Tuta and Ivica Rajic, the hand-over of
documents on crimes committed in Croatia and Bosnia, and the
granting of operation licences for ICTY investigators in Croatia.
(hina) rml