Deadline for appeals for Croat war crimes generals

The deadline for former Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac to announce appeals to the Hague Tribunal sentences against them expires Monday. Croatian officials and the public are waiting to see if the Hague Prosecutor's Office is going to announce an appeal as well, especially since the third indictee in the trial, former general Ivan Cermak, was acquitted. Deadline for appeals for Croat war crimes generals Although the generals' appeals have been completed for the most part, their contents are a secret for now, the Croatian media report. Both Gotovina's and Markac's defence teams have stated they would appeal the Hague sentences and announced new additions to the teams. After the announcements, the teams will have 75 days to file the appeals. The prosecution is allowed to reply to it and the defence has the option to reply to the prosecution as well. After that, the Hague president will form the appeals chamber, which will happen in autumn. Gotovina and Markac were found guilty of involvement in a joint criminal enterprise during Croatian Army's Operation Storm, which aimed to force the Serb population of Krajina, an area covering central and southern Croatia, to move out of the country. Gotovina was sentenced to 24 years in prison, while Markac received 18. Cermak was acquitted and released immediately.

Deadline for appeals for Croat war crimes generals

Although the generals' appeals have been completed for the most part, their contents are a secret for now, the Croatian media report.

Both Gotovina's and Markac's defence teams have stated they would appeal the Hague sentences and announced new additions to the teams.

After the announcements, the teams will have 75 days to file the appeals. The prosecution is allowed to reply to it and the defence has the option to reply to the prosecution as well. After that, the Hague president will form the appeals chamber, which will happen in autumn.

Gotovina and Markač were found guilty of involvement in a joint criminal enterprise during Croatian Army's Operation Storm, which aimed to force the Serb population of Krajina, an area covering central and southern Croatia, to move out of the country. Gotovina was sentenced to 24 years in prison, while Markač received 18.

Čermak was acquitted and released immediately.