ZAGREB, Sept 6 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic on Monday said the Croatian Government would soon send a letter to the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Gabrielle
Kirk McDonald, with a lay-out of Croatia's cooperation with the ICTY and a proposal that an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) be sought in the dispute regarding the jurisdiction of the Hague Tribunal over the operations 'Flash' and 'Storm'.
ZAGREB, Sept 6 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Zvonimir
Separovic on Monday said the Croatian Government would soon send a
letter to the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for
the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, with a lay-
out of Croatia's cooperation with the ICTY and a proposal that an
advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) be
sought in the dispute regarding the jurisdiction of the Hague
Tribunal over the operations 'Flash' and 'Storm'. #L#
Croatia believes that the investigation of the two operations is
not within the ICTY's jurisdiction, however, it will honour the
Tribunal's decision, keeping the right to lodge a complaint for the
sake of protecting its national and security interests, Separovic
said.
It will also be suggested to the ICTY President that those who had
voluntarily surrendered to The Hague and have been waiting for some
time for a verdict or for their trials to begin, be released on bail,
Separovic said, adding the Tribunal will be requested to send back
persons whom it cannot process speedily and against whom court
proceedings are being conducted in Croatia, so that Croatia can
complete those proceedings and promptly extradite to The Hague
those persons upon request.
"This would satisfy the principle of justice in both cases",
Separovic said.
Separovic said an English copy of the Government's White Book on
Croatia's cooperation with the ICTY would be sent to The Hague as
well.
Croatia does not negate that crimes had been committed, Separovic
said. He supported the claim that Croatia had processed those
crimes by saying that almost 2,000 indictments had been issued.
Almost 1,500 verdicts have been reached, and 13 persons are serving
their sentences for the gravest crimes, of whom seven are serving
their sentences for murder.
Commenting on the criticism regarding the work of the Croatian
judiciary, Separovic allowed that "the policy of prosecution may
have been more intensive or speedier".
Asked how many Croats have been indicted for war crimes, Separovic
said a series of persons had been processed for murder.
When asked how many indictments have been issued in Croatia for
crimes against humanity and violations of the law or customs of war,
and the violation of the Geneva Conventions or genocide, which are
the categories under which the ICTY tries war crimes, Separovic
said, "You are asking too much".
Assistance Justice Minister Dubravko Palijas said no indictments
had been issued for the period of 'Flash' and 'Storm' operations.
War crimes indictments have been issued for the period before the
two operations and the Justice Ministry is still gathering data on
the ethnic structure of indictees, he added.
Separovic also announced changes in the penal code so that the
"uncritical" publishing of books such as Hitler's "Mein Kampf"
could be prosecuted. He described the publishing of the book as a
"provocation".
Separovic also said the first hearing on procedural questions
regarding the indictment on genocide Croatia submitted against
Yugoslavia to the International Court of Justice in The Hague would
be held next week.
Croatia will be represented at the hearing by US attorney David
Rivkin.
(hina) jn rml