ZAGREB, 5 July (Hina) - The Croatian defence team, headed by Zvonimir Hodak, in charge of the defence of Croats indicted by The Hague War Crimes Tribunal, on Friday met with Croatian government representatives, in order to inform them
about the court processes in The Hague and the present status of the defence.
ZAGREB, 5 July (Hina) - The Croatian defence team, headed by
Zvonimir Hodak, in charge of the defence of Croats indicted by The
Hague War Crimes Tribunal, on Friday met with Croatian government
representatives, in order to inform them about the court processes
in The Hague and the present status of the defence. #L#
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minster Mate Granic, Vice
Premier Ljerka Mintas-Hodak, Defence Minister Gojko Susak and
Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic.
'We replied to the invitation on behalf of the Government, in
order to discuss certain problems regarding the defence team,
including some clumsy statements made in the public in which
certain ministries were criticized', Defence Minister Susak said
after the meeting.
Asked about the reply of the Croatian Defence Ministry to a
statement by The Hague Chief Prosecutor in the indictment against
the Bosnian Croat Ivica Rajic, in which the Prosecutor stated that
the influence of the Republic of Croatia through the Croatian
Defence Council (HVO) in Bosnia-Herzegovina was so strong that it
could be described as an act of occupation and aggression, Foreign
Minister Granic said: 'The Croatian Foreign Ministry has already
sharply responded to the statement. We have already expressed our
opinion to The Hague Tribunal and asked that we be granted 'amicus
curiae' status so that we could take part in the process'.
Croatia had adopted a law on cooperation with The Hague
Tribunal and it was one of the initiators of the establishment of
the Tribunal, Granic said, adding Croatia would cooperate with the
court. 'There are no differing opinions on that issue', Granic
said.
'On the other hand, this does not mean that we will not
criticize The Hague Tribunal', Granic said, adding that only three
persons had been indicted by the court for war crimes against
Croats, despite evidence which had long been submitted to the
court.
An American lawyer had been included in the Croatian defence
team, which gathered Croatia's best experts. The Croat Mirjam
Damaska, professor at Yale University, would also join the team as
its consultant, Defence Minister Susak said.
'All that we can say for the public is that we will meet all
commitments to the international conventions as well as the
commitments we have taken on regarding cooperation with The Hague
Tribunal. We will see to it, together with the defence team, that
every Croat who is indicted receives best possible defence',
Defence Minister Susak said.
At the end of the press conference, reporters asked Minister
Granic to comment on the report by the U.N. Secretary General
Boutros Ghali and the Security Council Presidential Statement on
security situation in Croatia.
'In general, Ghali's report is positive. As regards the
situation in the liberated Croatian areas, Ghali did not take into
consideration all the positive things that have been done in
Croatia lately. The Presidential Statement is much milder than
Ghali's report', Minister Granic said.
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051630 MET jul 96