ZAGREB, March 3 (Hina) - The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) passed a drastic sentence in the case of general Tihomir Blaskic because his defence failed to prove there were two parallel lines of
defence, the vice president of the Croatian People's Party (HNS), retired General Martin Spegelj, told Hina on Friday. "One was a secret political army, headed by Croatian late Defence Minister Gojko Susak, without the knowledge of the Croatian Council of Defence (HVO), and the other was the HVO, the regular command, which included general Blaskic", Spegelj stressed. He added that the regular army, the HVO, had nothing to do with crimes committed in Ahmici, for which Blaskic, as a local commander of the HVO, was sentenced. According to Spegelj, the secret political police was in fault. Blaskic and his attorney were not able to find documents which would prove the exi
ZAGREB, March 3 (Hina) - The International Criminal Tribunal for
the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) passed a drastic sentence in the case
of general Tihomir Blaskic because his defence failed to prove
there were two parallel lines of defence, the vice president of the
Croatian People's Party (HNS), retired General Martin Spegelj,
told Hina on Friday.
"One was a secret political army, headed by Croatian late Defence
Minister Gojko Susak, without the knowledge of the Croatian Council
of Defence (HVO), and the other was the HVO, the regular command,
which included general Blaskic", Spegelj stressed. He added that
the regular army, the HVO, had nothing to do with crimes committed
in Ahmici, for which Blaskic, as a local commander of the HVO, was
sentenced. According to Spegelj, the secret political police was in
fault.
Blaskic and his attorney were not able to find documents which would
prove the existence of the two parallel lines of command, Spegelj
stressed. He added that certain responsibility also lies on
Blaskic, because he failed to submit the resignation effective
immediately to his duties in the HVO, and this way remove all
responsibility from himself.
The ICTY on Friday sentenced Blaskic to 45 years in prison for
crimes committed during the Moslem-Croat conflict in Lasva River
Valley (Bosnia-Herzegovina). The is the greatest sentence passed
by the ICTY so far. The verdicts also confirmed Croatia's
involvement in the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
(hina) it jn