VUKOVAR, 18 Sept (Hina) - The U.S. government will not ease the outer wall of sanctions imposed on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic hands over the remaining three persons indicted for
war crimes committed in Vukovar and two persons indicted for war crimes in Brcko (Bosnia-Herzegovina), U.S. ambassador in charge of the issue of war crimes, David Scheffer, told a press conference in the U.N.-administered Croatian town of Vukovar. Another important message of Scheffer's visit is his call on the Croatian Government to make a final list of persons who are not included in the Amnesty Law. Croatia has granted amnesty to participants in the Serb military rebellion, not including those who committed war crimes. Any lack of clarity or mistakes in that respect would not be in Croatia's interest, Scheffer told reporters after his talks with the President of the Joint Council of (Serb) Municipalities of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srije
VUKOVAR, 18 Sept (Hina) - The U.S. government will not ease the
outer wall of sanctions imposed on the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia until the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic hands
over the remaining three persons indicted for war crimes
committed in Vukovar and two persons indicted for war crimes in
Brcko (Bosnia-Herzegovina), U.S. ambassador in charge of the
issue of war crimes, David Scheffer, told a press conference in
the U.N.-administered Croatian town of Vukovar.
Another important message of Scheffer's visit is his call
on the Croatian Government to make a final list of persons who
are not included in the Amnesty Law.
Croatia has granted amnesty to participants in the Serb
military rebellion, not including those who committed war crimes.
Any lack of clarity or mistakes in that respect would not
be in Croatia's interest, Scheffer told reporters after his talks
with the President of the Joint Council of (Serb) Municipalities
of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem, Milos Vojnovic.
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Scheffer confirmed that Yugoslavia should as soon as
possible hand over Veselin Sljivancanin, Miroslav Radic and Mile
Mrksic, indicted for war crimes in Vukovar, as well as Goran
Jelisic and Ranko Cesic, indicted for war crimes in Brcko.
Milosevic can hand them over to the Hague Tribunal and he
has to do it as soon as possible. There is no alternative to
that, Scheffer said, stressing at the beginning of the conference
that he also spoke on behalf of the U.S. Secretary of State,
Madeleine Albright, and the U.S. administration.
Asked whether the Hague Tribunal would take over the trial
of those persons whom Croatia had not granted amnesty, Scheffer
answered 'not necessarily'.
It was important for the Tribunal to be able to inspect the
list of persons who had not been granted amnesty, revise it and
decide whether it would participate in any of the trials,
Scheffer said.
The United States expected the list to be correct and
objective, he added.
Asked whether he was satisfied with the investigation in
Bajramovic case, Scheffer said he had told Minister Granic he
hoped that the case was being investigated professionally and
that information on the case would be sent as soon as possible to
the Hague Tribunal which would follow it closely.
Bajramovic and other three Croatian volunteers are
currently in an investigative court in Zagreb, suspected of
having committed crimes in Pakracka Poljana (some 70 km south-
east of Zagreb).
We are friends to the Croatian people, but if the Croatian
Government wants to join the international community, it has to
make a step from modest to excellent cooperation with the Hague
Tribunal, said Scheffer, stressing the importance of handing over
Bosnian Croats Dario Kordic and Ivica Raic.
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