I am certain that the police and the prosecutorial authorities have applied the law. Croatia is a law-based country, Josipovic said after his reception of war veterans from Slavonski Brod and Zadar in Zagreb on Monday
There is the presumption of innocence and let the institutions, the Chief State Prosecutor and courts do their jobs independently of any pressure, he said.
A former Sisak police chief, Djuro Brodarac, a former commander of the Sisak police department's active and reserve units, Vlado Milankovic, and Sisak police reservist Drago Bosnjak were arrested earlier on Monday on suspicion of war crimes against civilians committed in 1991 and 1992, the interior ministry said, without identifying the suspects, only their years of birth.
Brodarac (born in 1944) and Milankovic (born in 1962) are suspected on criminal responsibility, while Bosnjak (born in 1958) is suspected of an individual crime.
Asked whether former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader could expect a fair trial in Croatia, Josipovic said that he could and must expect that.
The president reiterated that Croatia was close to concluding the accession negotiations with the European Union and that was irrelevant whether the talks would be formally wrapped up five days earlier or later.
As for the forthcoming celebration of Croatia's Statehood Day, he said that what was most important about the celebration had already been agreed upon and that some more elements would be added. He expected the arrival of heads of state from Croatia's neighbours -- Hungary, Slovenia and Austria -- that had helped Croatia, at commemorative events.