Croatia’s president to shun UNGA debate on Hague

ZAGREB Croatia’s President Ivo Josipovic told Belgrade-based daily Vecernje novosti that he would not attend a UN General Assembly debate on the Hague Tribunal. “I will neither speak nor attend the debate at the UN General Assembly,” he stressed. Croatia’s president to shun UNGA debate on Hague Therefore, the debate would not be heard by those because of whom it would be held in the first place, the daily notes. Zagreb has not yet decided whether it would take part in the debate on the Hague Tribunal which UNGA President Vuk Jeremic scheduled for April 10. Jeremic scheduled the debate entitled "Role of international criminal justice in reconciliation" after the Hague Tribunal released Croat Generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac, whom Josipovic received straight after their arrival in Zagreb. In November 2012, the Hague Tribunal acquitted Gotovina and Markac in the appeal proceedings. They were originally sentenced to 24 and 18 years in prison for crimes against Serbs during and after the military and police Operation Storm in 1995. It is certain that Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will speak at the debate although according to the daily there was an option to send another representative to New York and even to cancel the debate had Serbia’s proposal to allow Serbian citizens to serve their sentences in Serbian prisons been accepted. Serbian government's National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal Rasim Ljajic told Vecernje novosti that the idea to serve the sentences in Serbia was four years old but that it had never received any support. He said that The Hague had always invoked the UN secretary general’s recommendation from the 90s not to allow prisoners to serve their sentences in the territory of the former Yugoslavia so they would not have a privileged treatment. “Three months ago, we received the first positive sign from The Hague and the UN, meaning a response that they would soon send a commission that will check whether conditions in our prisons were in accordance with the international standards. As far as the UNGA debate is concerned, one should not have too high expectation and I do not think it will either help or harm us,” Ljajic was quoted as saying. Jeremic said earlier that nothing could make him give up on the debate. He added that there had been pressure from the beginning over his decision to hold a public debate on the international criminal justice. U.S. Foreign Policy writes that several international legal experts, including Song Sang-Hyun, the president of the International Criminal Court, who had confirmed their attendance at the conference have pulled out of the event. Among those who has have cancelled or declined invitations include the president of the Assembly of States Parties for the International Criminal Court, Tina Intelmann; the UN secretary general's special advisor on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng; the executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth; and the UN secretary general lawyer Patricia O'Brien, Foreign Policy pointed out. Ivo Josipovic (Beta, file) Tanjug Vecernje novosti

Croatia’s president to shun UNGA debate on Hague

Therefore, the debate would not be heard by those because of whom it would be held in the first place, the daily notes.

Zagreb has not yet decided whether it would take part in the debate on the Hague Tribunal which UNGA President Vuk Jeremić scheduled for April 10.

Jeremić scheduled the debate entitled "Role of international criminal justice in reconciliation" after the Hague Tribunal released Croat Generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač, whom Josipović received straight after their arrival in Zagreb.

In November 2012, the Hague Tribunal acquitted Gotovina and Markač in the appeal proceedings. They were originally sentenced to 24 and 18 years in prison for crimes against Serbs during and after the military and police Operation Storm in 1995.

It is certain that Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić will speak at the debate although according to the daily there was an option to send another representative to New York and even to cancel the debate had Serbia’s proposal to allow Serbian citizens to serve their sentences in Serbian prisons been accepted.

Serbian government's National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal Rasim Ljajić told Večernje novosti that the idea to serve the sentences in Serbia was four years old but that it had never received any support.

He said that The Hague had always invoked the UN secretary general’s recommendation from the 90s not to allow prisoners to serve their sentences in the territory of the former Yugoslavia so they would not have a privileged treatment.

“Three months ago, we received the first positive sign from The Hague and the UN, meaning a response that they would soon send a commission that will check whether conditions in our prisons were in accordance with the international standards. As far as the UNGA debate is concerned, one should not have too high expectation and I do not think it will either help or harm us,” Ljajić was quoted as saying.

Jeremić said earlier that nothing could make him give up on the debate. He added that there had been pressure from the beginning over his decision to hold a public debate on the international criminal justice.

U.S. Foreign Policy writes that several international legal experts, including Song Sang-Hyun, the president of the International Criminal Court, who had confirmed their attendance at the conference have pulled out of the event.

Among those who has have cancelled or declined invitations include the president of the Assembly of States Parties for the International Criminal Court, Tina Intelmann; the UN secretary general's special advisor on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng; the executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth; and the UN secretary general lawyer Patricia O'Brien, Foreign Policy pointed out.