MESIC: ALL WHO CAN HELP ESTABLISH TRUTH SHOULD TESTIFY BEFORE ICTY

ZAGREB, Nov 14 (Hina) - Croatia is interested only in the establishment of material truth and this can be achieved only when all who can help accomplish this goal testify before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said on Tuesday. Asked to comment on an article in Tuesday's issue of 'Nacional' weekly, according to which ICTY has asked the Croatian Government to free 16 former employees with intelligence services - HIS and SIS - from the obligation to keep secrets, so that they can be questioned by the Hague-based Tribunal, Mesic answered that "it is understandable that they should be freed from the obligation to keep secrets, as the only thing we should be interested in is to establish the naked truth." According to the magazine, this list of employees includes former heads of the Croatian Intelligence Service (HIS) Miroslav Tudjman and Miroslav Separovic. President Mesic was asked to comment on an announcement by late President Franjo Tudjman's family that it would sue Croatian Television (HTV) for broadcasting a Channel 4 feature on the taped conversations the former President held in his office. The family believes that by airing the documentary without comments or distancing, HTV joined all who are conducting "a public lynch" against the deceased president. "Croatia has become a law-based state and everybody, including family members of President Franjo Tudjman, can protect their rights and interests," Mesic responded According to some sources, there is allegedly footage of a one-hour interview British journalists made with President Mesic and which Channel 4 broadcast. Reporters asked Mesic whether that feature would be aired as well. "All that has been discussed with me can be broadcast but nothing must be added," Mesic responded. (hina) jn ms