SARAJEVO BISHOPS: THIS JUSTICE OF ICTY REMINDS OF INJUSTICE

SARAJEVO, (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina's Catholic Church dignitaries believe that the sentence passed by the Hague Tribunal's trail chamber (of first instance) in the case of a Bosnian Croat, General Tihomir Blaskic was drastic and the verdict was not based on facts. The ICTY (International War Crimes Tribunal for former Yugoslavia) on Friday decided to sentence Blaskic for 45 years in prison, after it found him guilty, individually and as a commander, for crimes committed by Bosnian Croat forces in central Bosnia during their conflict with Moslems in 1993. "A drastic sentence not grounded on evidence confuses and appals. Although this is the sentence at first instance, it is clear that the International Tribunal in The Hague did not pass a sentence on man for what he did," Sarajevo Archbishop, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, and Auxiliary Bishop Pero Sudar were quoted by the Catholic news agency (KTA) as saying. By its verdict in the Blaskic case, the Hague Tribunal showed that "it has no knowledge of Bosnia-Herzegovina, of what happened in the country during the war and what is going on in the wake of the war," read the dignitaries' statement. Puljic and Sudar recalled that during the war in Bosnia local Catholic bishops had raised their voice against all kinds of evil and crime, regardless of who was perpetrator. However, the statement read, the attitude of representatives of the international community, particularly of certain countries, towards the war and now in the wake of the war, especially the attitude of the International Tribunal in The Hague, have aroused and are arousing serious suspicions of its impartiality in the selection and ways of apprehension of war crimes suspects. Puljic and Sudar added that the sentence in the Blaskic case confirmed those suspicions and fear. The two Catholic dignitaries extended their condolences on the death of victims in the village of Ahmici and applauded the resoluteness to solve that crime completely and punish culprits. They said they did not want to doubt in good intentions of judges of the Hague Tribunal, but Puljic and Sudar wondered what was about the sanctions of crimes committed against the Croat people in Bosnia. They also wondered whether the international public and the Tribunal's judges knew of crimes committed against Croats in Krizancevo Selo, Buhine Kuce, Dusine, Trusina, Uzdol, Bugojno and another central Bosnian villages and towns where victims were Croats Catholics. For those who were sad witnesses to war events in this country - including us - this justice, no matter whether it was based on good will and intentions, greatly reminds of injustice, read the bishops' statement adding that never injustice could help to achieve justice, regardless of who does it and on whose behalf. (hina) jn ms