ZAGREB, 20 July (Hina) - Croatia cannot accept the ICTY decision of 18 July and it will use all legal means to prove that the decision is legally unfounded - from filing a complaint to turning to the International Court through
authorised bodies of the United Nations - said Croatia's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Jaksa Muljacic, commenting on the decision of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) of 18 July, which confirms its request for Croatia to submit documents believed to be of evidentiary value in relation to the trial of General Tihomir Blaskic.
IC
ZAGREB, 20 July (Hina) - Croatia cannot accept the ICTY decision of 18
July and it will use all legal means to prove that the decision is
legally unfounded - from filing a complaint to turning to the
International Court through authorised bodies of the United Nations -
said Croatia's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Jaksa Muljacic, commenting
on the decision of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) of 18 July, which confirms its request for Croatia to
submit documents believed to be of evidentiary value in relation to the
trial of General Tihomir Blaskic. #L#
"International law does not know of any institution according to
which the Tribunal would have the right to issue orders to states and
their officials under the threat of punishment. That kind of
communication completely opposes international and legal relations in
which all subjects are equal," Muljacic stated for Croatian television
central news broadcast on Sunday.
Commenting on the decision which 'orders Croatia and its Defence
Minister Gojko Susak to turn over to the Tribunal specified categories
of documents within 30 days, under the threat of punishment', Muljacic
said that the Tribunal could only ask states to cooperate.
Should the Tribunal think that a state is not cooperating, it can
inform the U.N. Security Council about it, he said.
"The Republic of Croatia cannot accept the decision and in that
sense it will use all legal means to prove that the decision is
unfounded," Muljacic said, adding that Croatia would file a complaint
and as the last resort turn through authorised U.N. bodies to the
International Court, "which is the only institution authorised to
determine whether an international-legal institution is really part of
international law and thus recognised as a general legal principle,"
Muljacic said.
Croatia would continue to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal but in
accordance with the regulations of international law and the
International Court's statute, Muljacic said.
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