ZAGREB, Aug 26 (Hina) - Croatia rejects claims made by the president of the International Crimes Tribunal and prior to that, the head prosecutor, that Croatia did not cooperate with the Tribunal in The Hague, Croatian Justice Minister
Zvonimir Separovic stated on Wednesday in response to the ICTY president's letter to the UN Security Council.
ZAGREB, Aug 26 (Hina) - Croatia rejects claims made by the president
of the International Crimes Tribunal and prior to that, the head
prosecutor, that Croatia did not cooperate with the Tribunal in The
Hague, Croatian Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic stated on
Wednesday in response to the ICTY president's letter to the UN
Security Council.#L#
Speaking on the evening news, Minister Separovic expressed
surprise that the ICTY had written to the UN Security Council adding
that Croatia "would prove just the opposite, regarding its
cooperation with the Tribunal" and would "seek protection for the
Security Council".
Separovic believes the Security Council will not agree with the
statement issued by ICTY president at least not until they had heard
Croatia's point of view.
He announced a "White Book" to be completed soon which clearly shows
that prior to the adoption of the Constitutional Law on Cooperation
with the ICTY and certainly after its adoption, Croatia had
intensively cooperated with the Tribunal.
He added that as far as war crimes committed during the Storm and
Flash military operations in Croatia, court proccedings had been
initiated and Croatia had once again recently shown its good will
for cooperation with the extradition of Vinko Martinovic Stela to
The Hague.
As far as extradition proceedings for Mladen Naletilic Tuta were
concerned, Separovic said "We cannot extradite Tuta until the
current court proceedings have been ended", adding "as soon as
these proceedings are finalised, he will be extradited as soon as
the Court decides he is fit to stand before the Tribunal".
(hina) sp