Croatia celebrates acquittal of Hague pair

ZAGREB Croatia was thrilled by the ruling of the Hague Tribunal which acquitted Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac of their original guilty verdicts in a war crimes case. The two former Croatian generals were sentenced to 24 and 18 years for a joint criminal enterprise and crimes against ethnic Serbs committed in Operation Storm in August 1995. Croatia celebrates acquittal of Hague pair President of the Serb National Council Milorad Pupovac, however, stated that although this is good for the generals, it is bad for the victims and continuation of reconciliation in the region. “After this verdict, the question remains - who is responsible for murders, expulsion, destruction and burning of houses given that so far no one was sentenced,” Pupovac said. President of the Croatian Helsinki Committee Ivan Zvonimir Cicak said on the occasion of the acquittal that crimes were committed during Operation Storm, but that there are no proves that the generals are responsible for them. At the Zagreb central square on Friday morning, people chanted “Ante, Ante”, and welcomed the acquittal with applauses. “We knew that Operation Storm was not a joint criminal enterprise. Crimes were committed, but the generals are not guilty,” Croatian President Ivo Josipovic stated on the occasion. He said that he was certain about the generals' innocence, and that he sees the Hague verdict as a confirmation that Croatia did not commit ethnic cleansing, while the fight of the Croat defenders was honorable and righteous fight. Josipovic said that the acquittal has strengthened his trust in the international law and justice, adding that it is the obligation of the state to punish all those who committed crimes during Operation Storm. It a weight off our shoulders, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said in Banski Dvori, Zagreb, adding that Croatia will do justice for its wrongdoings during the war. Croatian Minister for War Veterans Predrag Matic believes that the Hague verdict finally explained to the world that Croatia was waging a defence, liberation war. Vesna Skare-Ozbolt, former minister of justice, who followed the delivery of the verdict in The Hague, said with tears in her eyes that all suspicions have been cleared, while liberation operations Storm and Flash got their affirmation. “This is a magnificent day for Croatia,” former prime minister Jadranka Kosor said, adding that the incitement proved that Gotovina and Markac headed victorious Croatian army in the liberation of the country. Stjepan Mesic, former Croatian president, sees the acquittal as "proof that the Hague is not a political court, and that it acts in line with legal norms". Top Serbian officials described the court's decision as political mockery of justice, and decided to downgrade the country's cooperation with the tribunal to "technical". Tanjug

Croatia celebrates acquittal of Hague pair

President of the Serb National Council Milorad Pupovac, however, stated that although this is good for the generals, it is bad for the victims and continuation of reconciliation in the region.

“After this verdict, the question remains - who is responsible for murders, expulsion, destruction and burning of houses given that so far no one was sentenced,” Pupovac said.

President of the Croatian Helsinki Committee Ivan Zvonimir Čičak said on the occasion of the acquittal that crimes were committed during Operation Storm, but that there are no proves that the generals are responsible for them.

At the Zagreb central square on Friday morning, people chanted “Ante, Ante”, and welcomed the acquittal with applauses.

“We knew that Operation Storm was not a joint criminal enterprise. Crimes were committed, but the generals are not guilty,” Croatian President Ivo Josipović stated on the occasion.

He said that he was certain about the generals' innocence, and that he sees the Hague verdict as a confirmation that Croatia did not commit ethnic cleansing, while the fight of the Croat defenders was honorable and righteous fight.

Josipović said that the acquittal has strengthened his trust in the international law and justice, adding that it is the obligation of the state to punish all those who committed crimes during Operation Storm.

It a weight off our shoulders, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanović said in Banski Dvori, Zagreb, adding that Croatia will do justice for its wrongdoings during the war.

Croatian Minister for War Veterans Predrag Matic believes that the Hague verdict finally explained to the world that Croatia was waging a defence, liberation war.

Vesna Škare-Ožbolt, former minister of justice, who followed the delivery of the verdict in The Hague, said with tears in her eyes that all suspicions have been cleared, while liberation operations Storm and Flash got their affirmation.

“This is a magnificent day for Croatia,” former prime minister Jadranka Kosor said, adding that the incitement proved that Gotovina and Markač headed victorious Croatian army in the liberation of the country.

Stjepan Mesić, former Croatian president, sees the acquittal as "proof that the Hague is not a political court, and that it acts in line with legal norms".

Top Serbian officials described the court's decision as political mockery of justice, and decided to downgrade the country's cooperation with the tribunal to "technical".