ZAGREB, March 25 (Hina) - In an interview for Croatian daily "Vjesnik", President Stipe Mesic said on Sunday he had amnestied five Serbs convicted in Croatia for war crimes. "I signed those amnesties. Those persons had another several
months to serve in Croatian prisons and they were sentenced to nine, eight or seven years in prison," Mesic said. He did not, however, want to give the names of the amnestied persons, adding they would be "officially announced". Croatian media recently reported that the Croatian President's Amnesty Commission was discussing a possibility for amnesty for five or six Serbs convicted in Croatia for war crimes and in exchange three Croatians convicted for espionage would be released from Serbian prisons. Elaborating the decision on amnesty, Mesic reminded that three Croatians had been granted amnesty in Yugoslavia, of whom each had
ZAGREB, March 25 (Hina) - In an interview for Croatian daily
"Vjesnik", President Stipe Mesic said on Sunday he had amnestied
five Serbs convicted in Croatia for war crimes.
"I signed those amnesties. Those persons had another several months
to serve in Croatian prisons and they were sentenced to nine, eight
or seven years in prison," Mesic said. He did not, however, want to
give the names of the amnestied persons, adding they would be
"officially announced".
Croatian media recently reported that the Croatian President's
Amnesty Commission was discussing a possibility for amnesty for
five or six Serbs convicted in Croatia for war crimes and in
exchange three Croatians convicted for espionage would be released
from Serbian prisons.
Elaborating the decision on amnesty, Mesic reminded that three
Croatians had been granted amnesty in Yugoslavia, of whom each had
another five years to serve in prison, adding that the good news
from Yugoslavia was that "all Croatians will be released from
Serbian prisons".
"We are showing good will by enabling those persons to return to
normal life. They had been convicted for war crimes, but they have
almost served their sentences. What do the remaining two or three
months of their sentences mean to us, if thus we are achieving the
only important goal, which is to definitely return all of our
citizens from Serbia, and enable our citizens of Serbian
nationality to return to normal life several months earlier", Mesic
said.
He added there were no political suggestions about who was to be
amnestied.
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