Serbian prosecution to activate Operation Storm cases

BELGRADE Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic says the Serbian Prosecution will activate cases of crimes committed in the Operation Storm in 1995. The Prosecutor's Office will open six new cases on grounds of evidence it has at its disposal and it will also call on the Hague Tribunal to file evidence from the case against Croat Generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac who were acquitted by the Hague Tribunal for crimes committed in the Operation Storm. Serbian prosecution to activate Operation Storm cases Vukcevic told B92 on which six locations the Prosecution is conducting pre-investigation. He explained that the Prosecution had not launched the investigations because it was not satisfied with the acquittal of Gotovina and Markac but because it needed to wait for the Hague Tribunal to deliver the final verdict, bearing in mind that the Tribunal had precedence in the launching of proceedings. “We will pick up where we left off. We are already conducting pre-investigations at six locations connected to the Storm. We have questioned a large number of witnesses, together with Veritas (Documentation and Information Center). The interviews were held here in the office next to mine. We also questioned witnesses in connection with the Operation Flash,” he stressed. The war crimes prosecutor told B92 that the investigations were being conducted in Kijani, Mali Alan, Dvor na Uni, Gospic, Petrinja and Vrgin most. 14 Serb civilians were killed in the village of Kijani near the town of Gracac. 21 members of the Republic of Serb Krajina armed forces were wounded and captured on January 22, 1993 at the Mali Alan Pass on Mt. Velebit. Some of the soldiers were killed after being captured. Some of them were massacred. Nine handicapped Serb civilians were killed at a local elementary school on August 8, 1995 in Dvor na Uni. As far the town of Gospic is concerned the Prosecution is investigating the death of 13 victims, two victims in the Donji Lapac municipality, seven victims in the Udbina municipality, 17 victims in the Vrhovine municipality and two victims at Plitvice Lakes National Park. The crimes committed against the Serb civilians during and after the Operation Storm in the area of Gospic were included in the indictment against Gotovina and Markac but none of the names of persons who were killed or went missing were included. Remains of 66 persons were exhumed at a local cemetery in the town of Petrinja while Vrginmost was targeted and shelled by artillery fire. Vukcevic underscored earlier that the evidence presented at the initial trial (when Gotovina was sentenced to 24 and Markac to 18 years of imprisonment) was relevant and can contribute to the establishment of truth about the crimes committed during Operation Storm which the Hague Tribunal did not discuss. The war crimes prosecutor that the Hague Tribunal had made a mistake in the case against Gotovina and Markac bearing in mind that artillery logs, that contain reports about targets of the Croat army, had not been obtained. “It is a great oversight on the prosecutor’s part that the artillery logs that contain artillery reports were not obtained. I think that’s the essence,” Vukcevic said. He repeated that the acquittal compromised the Hague Tribunal . “This is a step by the Tribunal that I was not able to understand. The Operation Storm was this way declared legitimate,” the war crimes prosecutor stressed. Hague Tribunal’s Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’ advisor Frederick Swinnen told RTS that the Prosecution would not request a revision of the Appeals Chamber’s decision. According to him, the decision is final. Meanwhile, Gotovina’s defense attorneys have announced they will filed charges against former Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte who said that the acquittal of Gotovina and Markac “is not justice”. Vladimir Vukcevic (FoNet, file) B92 Tanjug

Serbian prosecution to activate Operation Storm cases

Vukčević told B92 on which six locations the Prosecution is conducting pre-investigation.

He explained that the Prosecution had not launched the investigations because it was not satisfied with the acquittal of Gotovina and Markač but because it needed to wait for the Hague Tribunal to deliver the final verdict, bearing in mind that the Tribunal had precedence in the launching of proceedings.

“We will pick up where we left off. We are already conducting pre-investigations at six locations connected to the Storm. We have questioned a large number of witnesses, together with Veritas (Documentation and Information Center). The interviews were held here in the office next to mine. We also questioned witnesses in connection with the Operation Flash,” he stressed.

The war crimes prosecutor told B92 that the investigations were being conducted in Kijani, Mali Alan, Dvor na Uni, Gospić, Petrinja and Vrgin most.

14 Serb civilians were killed in the village of Kijani near the town of Gračac.

21 members of the Republic of Serb Krajina armed forces were wounded and captured on January 22, 1993 at the Mali Alan Pass on Mt. Velebit. Some of the soldiers were killed after being captured. Some of them were massacred.

Nine handicapped Serb civilians were killed at a local elementary school on August 8, 1995 in Dvor na Uni.

As far the town of Gospić is concerned the Prosecution is investigating the death of 13 victims, two victims in the Donji Lapac municipality, seven victims in the Udbina municipality, 17 victims in the Vrhovine municipality and two victims at Plitvice Lakes National Park. The crimes committed against the Serb civilians during and after the Operation Storm in the area of Gospić were included in the indictment against Gotovina and Markač but none of the names of persons who were killed or went missing were included.

Remains of 66 persons were exhumed at a local cemetery in the town of Petrinja while Vrginmost was targeted and shelled by artillery fire.

Vukčević underscored earlier that the evidence presented at the initial trial (when Gotovina was sentenced to 24 and Markač to 18 years of imprisonment) was relevant and can contribute to the establishment of truth about the crimes committed during Operation Storm which the Hague Tribunal did not discuss.

The war crimes prosecutor that the Hague Tribunal had made a mistake in the case against Gotovina and Markač bearing in mind that artillery logs, that contain reports about targets of the Croat army, had not been obtained.

“It is a great oversight on the prosecutor’s part that the artillery logs that contain artillery reports were not obtained. I think that’s the essence,” Vukčević said.

He repeated that the acquittal compromised the Hague Tribunal .

“This is a step by the Tribunal that I was not able to understand. The Operation Storm was this way declared legitimate,” the war crimes prosecutor stressed.

Hague Tribunal’s Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’ advisor Frederick Swinnen told RTS that the Prosecution would not request a revision of the Appeals Chamber’s decision. According to him, the decision is final.

Meanwhile, Gotovina’s defense attorneys have announced they will filed charges against former Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte who said that the acquittal of Gotovina and Markač “is not justice”.