ZAGREB, July 30 (Hina) - The association for the protections of the values of the Croatian Homeland Defence War, Honos, requested of the government to urgently withdraw its decision on the extradition of retired Croatian army general
Ante Gotovina to the Hague-based international war crimes tribunal, and of the Interior Ministry to withdraw the arrest warrant against him. Honos president Nenad Ivankovic told today's news conference that the publishing of the tribunal indictments and Prime Minister Ivica Racan's letter to the Hague prosecution have made it clear that the indictments against Gotovina and General Rahim Ademi are politically, not legally motivated and without argument. With its unconditional cooperation with the Hague tribunal, contrary to Croatian laws and the Constitution, the government has accepted the equalling of Croatia with the so-called former repub
ZAGREB, July 30 (Hina) - The association for the protections of the
values of the Croatian Homeland Defence War, Honos, requested of
the government to urgently withdraw its decision on the extradition
of retired Croatian army general Ante Gotovina to the Hague-based
international war crimes tribunal, and of the Interior Ministry to
withdraw the arrest warrant against him.
Honos president Nenad Ivankovic told today's news conference that
the publishing of the tribunal indictments and Prime Minister Ivica
Racan's letter to the Hague prosecution have made it clear that the
indictments against Gotovina and General Rahim Ademi are
politically, not legally motivated and without argument.
With its unconditional cooperation with the Hague tribunal,
contrary to Croatian laws and the Constitution, the government has
accepted the equalling of Croatia with the so-called former
republic of Srpska Krajina and the thesis of the Stom military
liberation operation being a planned and systematic cleansing of
150,000 to 200,000 Serbs. The government has thus violated
important national interests, Ivankovic asserted.
"The imposing of a false alternative -- either innocent generals go
to The Hague, or sanctions and economic cataclysm will occur -- is
nothing but a feeble attempt of conceding to the colonial
subjecting of our country to foreign interests," Ivankovic
stressed.
Thus, he added, General Gotovina not responding to the Hague
tribunal is not disrespect of laws and the legal order, but rather
"a demonstration against the disrespect of a law-based state and
human rights, against politically motivated and indictments
without arguments and against political protectorate over
Croatia".
(hina) lml