ICJ gives Croatia until Aug. 30 to respond

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has authorized the submission by Croatia of a second pleading relating solely to the counter-claims by Serbia. The case in question concerns what is officially known as Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Croatia v. Serbia) - the Croatian genocide lawsuit against Serbia, and Serbia's subsequent counter-suit of the same nature. ICJ gives Croatia until Aug. 30 to respond By an order dated 23 January 2012, the Court fixed 30 August 2012 as the time-limit for the filing of that pleading. The court made the order following an indication by Croatia that it wished to present its views for a second time in writing, in an additional pleading, on Serbia's counter-claims, and taking account of the views of the parties, said a statement issued by the UN court. Croatia filed the suit against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia July 2, 1999, citing Article IX of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. With the transformation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia into Serbia and Montenegro and the dissolution of that country in 2006, Serbia is considered its legal successor, said the court. The application covers missing people, killed people, refugees, expelled people and all military actions and concentration camps and seizure of property. Serbia filed the genocide lawsuit against Croatia on January 4, 2010, charging Croatia with acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing of over 230,000 Serbs in the Operation Storm in 1995. Serbia also asked that the court find Croatia guilty of violating the Genocide Convention because it intended in Operation Storm to destroy Serbs in the sectors North and South under the protection of the UN. Serbia alternatively requested that the court declare Croatia responsible for genocide, and failing to prevent the genocide, said The Hague-based court. (file) Tanjug

ICJ gives Croatia until Aug. 30 to respond

By an order dated 23 January 2012, the Court fixed 30 August 2012 as the time-limit for the filing of that pleading.

The court made the order following an indication by Croatia that it wished to present its views for a second time in writing, in an additional pleading, on Serbia's counter-claims, and taking account of the views of the parties, said a statement issued by the UN court.

Croatia filed the suit against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia July 2, 1999, citing Article IX of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. With the transformation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia into Serbia and Montenegro and the dissolution of that country in 2006, Serbia is considered its legal successor, said the court.

The application covers missing people, killed people, refugees, expelled people and all military actions and concentration camps and seizure of property.

Serbia filed the genocide lawsuit against Croatia on January 4, 2010, charging Croatia with acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing of over 230,000 Serbs in the Operation Storm in 1995.

Serbia also asked that the court find Croatia guilty of violating the Genocide Convention because it intended in Operation Storm to destroy Serbs in the sectors North and South under the protection of the UN.

Serbia alternatively requested that the court declare Croatia responsible for genocide, and failing to prevent the genocide, said The Hague-based court.