ZAGREB, Feb 4 (Hina) - Croatia is determined to continue its cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), but also wishes to point out the omissions and inconsistencies in the Tribunal's work,
Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said in the report on Croatia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, the subject of discussion of the Croatian Parliament's House of Representatives' session on Thursday. The report was discussed and endorsed by the House of Counties on Tuesday. Granic reiterated Croatia's five basic criticisms about the work of the Hague Tribunal. The insufficient intensity of investigations into crimes committed during the war and aggression on Croatia; indictments have not yet been issued for war crimes committed against Croats in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina; the Tribunal is starting trials slowly and is slowly carrying out procedures against
ZAGREB, Feb 4 (Hina) - Croatia is determined to continue its
cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia (ICTY), but also wishes to point out the
omissions and inconsistencies in the Tribunal's work, Croatian
Foreign Minister Mate Granic said in the report on Croatia's
cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, the subject of discussion of
the Croatian Parliament's House of Representatives' session on
Thursday.
The report was discussed and endorsed by the House of Counties on
Tuesday.
Granic reiterated Croatia's five basic criticisms about the work of
the Hague Tribunal.
The insufficient intensity of investigations into crimes committed
during the war and aggression on Croatia; indictments have not yet
been issued for war crimes committed against Croats in the
Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina; the Tribunal is starting trials
slowly and is slowly carrying out procedures against Croats from
Bosnia-Herzegovina detained in The Hague; the creation of an
atmosphere of insecurity with threats regarding the operation
"Storm"; and that the failure of ICTY to apprehend the officers of
the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) indicted of crimes in
Vukovar in 1991 (Mrksic, Radic, Sljivancanin) and the leader of
Croatian Serb rebels, Milan Martic, who ordered the rocketing of
Zagreb on 1995.
Croatia most energetically requests the extradition of Martic and
applauds the efforts of the international community regarding the
arrest of the "Vukovar Trio", Granic stressed.
It is concerning that nobody has been accused of crimes against
Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the process in the Grabovica case
has been given to the justice organs of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Granic
stressed.
Great problems in the work of the Tribunal are the legal standards
in line with which the Tribunal works, and proceedings regulations
have been changed 14 times so far, he stressed.
"The process led under the principle of Anglo Saxon law with the
indictments being insufficiently prepared is the main cause of the
length of the procedure," Granic said.
The trial against Dario Kordic could start in April, he added.
"The prosecution can be expected to try to prove through Kordic the
cežonnection of Croatia's highest government level, and the
directo involvement of Croatia in (conflicts) in Bosnia-
Herzegovina," Granic said.
The prosecuttion did not manage to do this in the Blaskic case, he
added.
Granic warned about the most recentrequest of the Tribunal to probe
'cases' relating to the "Storm" operation, to which Croatia does
not agree.
Most parts of Croatia occupied by the Serbs since 1991 had been
liberated in 1995 by the Croatian military and police operation
"Storm".
"Croatia is exceptionally dissatisfied and is voicing its concern
over rumours about the possible processing of several Croatian
generals and state officials responsible for carrying out the
'Storm' operation," Granic stressed.
He added the Croatian justice system had been insufficiently
determined and resolute in processing crimes committed after the
operation, which decreased Croatia's credibility and
international position.
(hina) lml