ZAGREB, March 28 (Hina) - Croatia's justice minister said in Zagreb on Tuesday the papers the Croatian government recently found in intelligence service archives on last decade's war in Bosnia-Herzegovina contain documents
corroborating allegations by General Tihomir Blaskic's defence that he had taken steps to investigate a crime committed in a central Bosnian village. Blaskic, a former Croat Defence Council (HVO) commander in Central Bosnia, was recently sentenced by The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to 45 years in prison for war crimes committed during Bosnia's Croat-Muslim conflict. The defence announced an appeal. Based on the recently found documents, Blaskic's responsibility in connection with the crime committed in the village of Ahmici could be diminished. It is up to The Hague tribunal to establish whether it will reduce the sentence
ZAGREB, March 28 (Hina) - Croatia's justice minister said in Zagreb
on Tuesday the papers the Croatian government recently found in
intelligence service archives on last decade's war in Bosnia-
Herzegovina contain documents corroborating allegations by
General Tihomir Blaskic's defence that he had taken steps to
investigate a crime committed in a central Bosnian village.
Blaskic, a former Croat Defence Council (HVO) commander in Central
Bosnia, was recently sentenced by The Hague-based International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to 45 years in prison
for war crimes committed during Bosnia's Croat-Muslim conflict.
The defence announced an appeal.
Based on the recently found documents, Blaskic's responsibility in
connection with the crime committed in the village of Ahmici could
be diminished. It is up to The Hague tribunal to establish whether
it will reduce the sentence based on those documents, Croatia's
Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic said.
The found papers in most part refer to the HVO, but also mention the
Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the minister added.
At today's press conference, Ivanisevic also spoke about the
relationship between Croatia's former authorities with United
States attorney David Rivkin, who represented Croatia in several
lawsuits before The Hague tribunal.
According to Ivanisevic, the Justice Ministry is in possession of
documents showing that Rivkin's contracts and memoranda on
payments for his services were not signed with the Croatian
government, but with individuals, like Ljerka Mintas-Hodak,
Markica Rebic, Mate Granic, Zvonimir Separovic, and others.
The minister announced he would soon issue a detailed statement on
the former government's every activity in connection with Rivkin.
The statement will eliminate every speculation, he said.
Ivanisevic also announced reforms in legislation in connection
with the work of courts, the state attorney's office, and the State
Judicial Council (DSV). These reforms should increase the
effectiveness of the judiciary, and ensure that the DSV select its
personnel exclusively on the basis of skill- and not politics-
related principles.
(hina) ha jn