ZAGREB, Feb 5 (Hina) - On Friday, the Croatian Parliament House of Representatives continued a discussion on cooperation between Croatia and the Hague-based International War Crimes Tribunal, initiated by the benches of the ruling
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP). The head of the HDZ bench, Vladimir Seks, reiterated that his party demanded neither the discontinuation nor the suspension of the cooperation with th Tribunal. The HDZ did not ask for the suspension of the Croatian Constitutional Law on the matter, he said. According to Seks, the Croatian ruling party insisted on the reviewing the work of the UN Tribunal and establishing whether the Hague Tribunal and the Chief Prosecutor were acting in conformity with decisions of the UN Security Council, the statute and the code of conduct of the Tribunal. We are in favour of the cooperation, but we are o
ZAGREB, Feb 5 (Hina) - On Friday, the Croatian Parliament House of
Representatives continued a discussion on cooperation between
Croatia and the Hague-based International War Crimes Tribunal,
initiated by the benches of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) and the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP).
The head of the HDZ bench, Vladimir Seks, reiterated that his party
demanded neither the discontinuation nor the suspension of the
cooperation with th Tribunal. The HDZ did not ask for the suspension
of the Croatian Constitutional Law on the matter, he said.
According to Seks, the Croatian ruling party insisted on the
reviewing the work of the UN Tribunal and establishing whether the
Hague Tribunal and the Chief Prosecutor were acting in conformity
with decisions of the UN Security Council, the statute and the code
of conduct of the Tribunal.
We are in favour of the cooperation, but we are opposing the
extradition for the time being, said Anto Djapic on behalf of the
Croatian Party of Rights (HSP).
Seks suggested that a resolution to be adopted by the Parliament
propose that the Croatian Government Office for the Cooperation
with the Hague Tribunal should analyse every case against Croatian
citizens in legal terms and establish whether the Tribunal is
acting in line with the statute and the code of conduct.
He again spoke about indictments against Mladen Naletilic Tuta and
Vinko Martinovic, which, he added, implied a political context in
which Croatia's President and Government may be responsible for the
aggression, the occupation of a part of Bosnia-Herzegovina and
gravest forms of war crimes.
He referred to recent statements of the Chief Prosecutor Louise
Arbour and the statute under which presidents of states cannot be
immune from the prosecution.
According to these indictments it is clear at who they hint, Seks
said adding that several indictments against Bosnian Serbs read
that Bosnia-Herzegovina was partly occupied but failed to say who
had occupied it.
On behalf of the bench of the Croatian People's Party/Istrian
Democratic Forum (HNS/IDF), Srecko Bijelic said there were
political and professional problems in the work of the Hague
Tribunal.
But we must not influence so that Croatia terminate cooperation
with the Tribunal, Bijelic said.
He demanded that the treatment of Croats who surrendered by their
own will and are now in custody in The Hague, should be improved and
raised to a humane level.
All those, for whom we can guarantee that they will be available to
the Tribunal, should be enabled to defend themselves from freedom
until it is proved that they are guilty, Bijelic proposed.
Ivic Pasalic of the HDZ said their hopes that the aggression and
aggressors against Croatia be punished in The Hague had not come
true, and stressed that only five Serbs had been accused of war
crimes in The Hague.
He recalled that one of the roles of the International Tribunal
had been to accelerate the implementation of the Dayton agreement.
Instead, the unbalance, irresponsibility had been brought, Pasalic
said adding that indictments made no mention of Serbia, Yugoslavia,
Slobodan Milosevic. Furthermore, none of Serbs or Moslems have been
charged with crimes committed against Croats in Bosnia-
Herzegovina.
It is absurd that the greatest number of the indictments have been
issued against Croats, who are making up a half of the detainees in
The Hague," the HDZ member said adding that the purpose of the
indictments of Bosnian Croats was to prove that Croatia had been
involved in the war in Bosnia and to accuse thereby the Croatian
state leadership.
The HDZ bench advocates the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and
Prosecutors as well as the significant improvement of their work.
Pasalic proposed that the Government legal expert group should
consider all remarks and comments expressed during the
parliamentary discussion and conclude whether they were valid. If
the arguments are justified, they should be forward to the UN
Security Council with an aim to help improve the work of the Hague
Tribunal, he said.
(hina) mm ms