Radić tells Hague fugitives to surrender

A former Vukovar case defendant told Hague fugitives that "it is worth fighting for the truth" in the UN court. Radic, former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) officer, was on Thursday acquitted, after being charged by the Tribunal for crimes committed in the Ovcara farm near Vukovar in 1991, while his former colleagues, Mile Mrksic and sentenced to 20, and Veselin Sljivancanin to five years in prison. Radic tells Hague fugitives to surrender Radic returned to Belgrade on Friday a free man, after four and a half years since spent in a Hague detention unit. Radic was welcomed by thirty of his friends and a number of journalists, whom he told he had no plans of returning to the military service, adding he might one day write a book about his days in the Hague, the indictment and the trial. In his first address to the press, the former officer said he was satisfied he was proven not guilty of the crime in Ovcara. Aware of the fact that his acquittal sparked waves of criticism in Croatia, he said he was sorry for the victims in Vukovar, but added ha had nothing to do with their demise. Radic, who voluntarily surrendered to the Hague, says he believes his decision was right, and recommended to the remaining Hague fugitives to follow his example. “There's common belief that there is no justice in the Hague. Nonetheless, I believe it is worth fighting for your own truth and justice. My advice to others is to keep fighting for their truth,” said Radic. “I absolutely do not feel as if I have gotten away with murder. From the moment the indictment was issued, I knew I took no part in the crime. I am glad that I managed to prove my innocence thanks to my lawyers Borivoje Borovic and Milorad Tapuskovic,” said Radic. Earlier today, Borovic said he was convinced the Trial Chamber would acquit his client. “The Chamber consisted of esteemed international judges, and chaired by Judge Kevin Parker. They adhered to the facts, and not politics, which is why Radic has been acquitted of all eight counts of the indictment.” “I’ve put my trust in international law and the presiding judge ,” he said. “We challenged the prosecution with our evidence, and the Chamber appreciated that. Our documentation has shown Radic had no effective control over members of the Vukovar Territorial Defense accused of executing prisoners in the Ovcara farm,” explained Borovic. According to him, most of the Croat witnesses conducted themselves correctly while giving testimonies, unlike “domestic” witnesses who "falsely accused all three defendants." “However, the court ascertained they were not telling the truth,” Borovic said. Meanwhile, the Hague Prosecution said it would appeal the verdict handed in the Vukovar Three trial on Thursday. “Chief Hague Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said it is incomprehensible that a person found guilty of abusing 200 people can be sentenced to five years of imprisonment,” prosecution spokeswoman Olga Kavran said Friday. She added that the prosecution would file an appeal once it studied the verdict in detail, as it has thirty days to do so. Politicians and the public in Croatia were unhappy with the verdict deeming it “shamefully lenient.” Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader dispatched a note of protest to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, expressing his disappointment with the ruling which “does not correspond to historical facts of the offences the three defendants had committed.” “The time has come to seriously reconsider all aspects of the ICTY’s work, particularly in terms of its failure to serve the justice in a balanced, coherent and unbiased manner,” Sanader wrote in the letter. Croatia will bring up the subject at the UN General Assembly session on October 15, he added. Even President Stjepan Mesic, the most vocal supporter of the Tribunal at a time when nationalists vehemently opposed it, said "confidence in the court has now been seriously shaken", Reuters quoted him as saying. Holding black-and-white photos of the victims, about 150 people demonstrated at Zagreb's main square on Friday. Radic talks to the press at Belgrade airport on Friday (FoNet)

Radić tells Hague fugitives to surrender

Radić returned to Belgrade on Friday a free man, after four and a half years since spent in a Hague detention unit.

Radić was welcomed by thirty of his friends and a number of journalists, whom he told he had no plans of returning to the military service, adding he might one day write a book about his days in the Hague, the indictment and the trial.

In his first address to the press, the former officer said he was satisfied he was proven not guilty of the crime in Ovčara. Aware of the fact that his acquittal sparked waves of criticism in Croatia, he said he was sorry for the victims in Vukovar, but added ha had nothing to do with their demise.

Radić, who voluntarily surrendered to the Hague, says he believes his decision was right, and recommended to the remaining Hague fugitives to follow his example.

“There's common belief that there is no justice in the Hague. Nonetheless, I believe it is worth fighting for your own truth and justice. My advice to others is to keep fighting for their truth,” said Radić.

“I absolutely do not feel as if I have gotten away with murder. From the moment the indictment was issued, I knew I took no part in the crime. I am glad that I managed to prove my innocence thanks to my lawyers Borivoje Borović and Milorad Tapušković,” said Radić.

Earlier today, Borović said he was convinced the Trial Chamber would acquit his client. “The Chamber consisted of esteemed international judges, and chaired by Judge Kevin Parker. They adhered to the facts, and not politics, which is why Radić has been acquitted of all eight counts of the indictment.”

“I’ve put my trust in international law and the presiding judge ,” he said.

“We challenged the prosecution with our evidence, and the Chamber appreciated that. Our documentation has shown Radić had no effective control over members of the Vukovar Territorial Defense accused of executing prisoners in the Ovčara farm,” explained Borović.

According to him, most of the Croat witnesses conducted themselves correctly while giving testimonies, unlike “domestic” witnesses who "falsely accused all three defendants."

“However, the court ascertained they were not telling the truth,” Borović said.

Meanwhile, the Hague Prosecution said it would appeal the verdict handed in the Vukovar Three trial on Thursday.

“Chief Hague Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said it is incomprehensible that a person found guilty of abusing 200 people can be sentenced to five years of imprisonment,” prosecution spokeswoman Olga Kavran said Friday.

She added that the prosecution would file an appeal once it studied the verdict in detail, as it has thirty days to do so.

Politicians and the public in Croatia were unhappy with the verdict deeming it “shamefully lenient.”

Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader dispatched a note of protest to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, expressing his disappointment with the ruling which “does not correspond to historical facts of the offences the three defendants had committed.”

“The time has come to seriously reconsider all aspects of the ICTY’s work, particularly in terms of its failure to serve the justice in a balanced, coherent and unbiased manner,” Sanader wrote in the letter.

Croatia will bring up the subject at the UN General Assembly session on October 15, he added.

Even President Stjepan Mesić, the most vocal supporter of the Tribunal at a time when nationalists vehemently opposed it, said "confidence in the court has now been seriously shaken", Reuters quoted him as saying.

Holding black-and-white photos of the victims, about 150 people demonstrated at Zagreb's main square on Friday.