ZAGREB, Dec 2 (Hina) - A Deputy ICTY Prosecutor, Graham Blewitt, answered a reporter's question on the relations between the Hague-based Tribunal (ICTY) and Zagreb with full respect for the situation in Croatia and the state of health
of Croatia's President, the Prosecution's spokesman, Paul Risley, told Hina on Thursday. According to the France Press agency (AFP), Blewitt on Wednesday said the death of (Croatia's President) would obviously initiate a change. According to a statement released by Croatia's Justice Ministry, Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic on Thursday forwarded a letter of protest to the International War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) describing Blewitt's statement as "aggressive, morbid and necrophilic." Asked to comment on Separovic's protest, Risley said the deputy prosecutor was asked during a weekly press conference about the impact the health or
ZAGREB, Dec 2 (Hina) - A Deputy ICTY Prosecutor, Graham Blewitt,
answered a reporter's question on the relations between the Hague-
based Tribunal (ICTY) and Zagreb with full respect for the
situation in Croatia and the state of health of Croatia's
President, the Prosecution's spokesman, Paul Risley, told Hina on
Thursday.
According to the France Press agency (AFP), Blewitt on Wednesday
said the death of (Croatia's President) would obviously initiate a
change.
According to a statement released by Croatia's Justice Ministry,
Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic on Thursday forwarded a letter
of protest to the International War Crimes Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) describing Blewitt's statement as "aggressive,
morbid and necrophilic."
Asked to comment on Separovic's protest, Risley said the deputy
prosecutor was asked during a weekly press conference about the
impact the health or death of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman
would have on the relations between Zagreb and the Tribunal.
Blewitt, according to Risley, with full respect and cautiously
expressed an assessment that by the resolution of the crisis
situation, cooperation could be improved.
Risley told Hina on the phone on Thursday afternoon that until that
moment, the Hague-based offices of the Tribunal had received no
sign of dissatisfaction either from the Ministry or from the
Croatian Government.
The spokesman added that the head of the Tribunal's branch office in
Zagreb, Jos Pappen, had been invited to come to the Ministry at
01.00 pm Thursday, where he was asked to submit a text of Blewitt's
statement to reporters. During that meeting, no expression of
dissatisfaction was conveyed to the Tribunal's representative,
Risley said, adding the text of Blewitt's news conference was faxed
to Zagreb.
According to the recorded notes from Blewitt's news conference,
which were also sent to Hina, Blewitt, being asked about President
Tudjman's health, answered that "if and when he did die it would
likely result in some change," read those notes.
The Prosecution's Office was rather surprised at Minister
Separovic's groundless statement, cited in the media, Risley added
during the telephone conversation.
(hina) mm ms