"It is now quite clear the tribunal has made a political decision and not a legal ruling. Today's ruling will not contribute to the stabilisation of the situation in the region and will open old wounds, putting the few Serbs who have stayed in Croatia in the position of culprits to whom anyone can continue to administer their 'justice' unpunished," said a statement from Nikolic's office, describing the ruling as "scandalous."
The statement said that during the 1995 Operation Storm "more than 220,000 Serbs were driven out and thousands of unarmed men, women and children were killed."
"Who's to blame for that? With today's ruling, Croatia can legitimately celebrate the biggest pogrom in the world since World War II, a state that doesn't even allow families of missing Serbs to locate the bodies of their dearest ones," the statement said.
"If we had reasons to believe that the tribunal is neutral, fair and more than a court only for Serbia and its people, these reasons are now annulled with the acquittal of war criminals," it added.
Nikolic said "the Serbian people has been a victim of genocide, the most brutal crimes, persecution and torture in recent history" and that "the Serbs have been branded criminals who should now be ashamed and keep quiet."
"That's a paradox which must not repeat itself", he said.