Mesic wants trial of Gotovina, Cermak and Markac held in Croatia

07/10/2007

ZAGREB, Croatia -- President Stipe Mesic said on Friday (October 5th) that three Croatian war crimes indictees -- Generals Ante Gotovina, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac, charged with war crimes stemming from 1995's Operation Storm -- should stand trial in their home country. The comment followed controversial sentences handed down last week against the so-called "Vukovar Three" -- former Yugoslav Army Generals Mile Mrksic, Veselin Sljivancanin and Miroslav Radic. The relatively short sentences triggered a massive protest among Croatians.

Mesic insists Croatia has the right to request that the Operation Storm generals be held in Croatia. He said the country's legal system is capable of handling "even the most complicated cases". The president also wants the "Vukovar Three" prosecuted in Croatia. On Friday, a court in Vukovar issued an arrest warrant for one of the three, Miroslav Radic, who was acquitted by the tribunal. (Makfax, B92, Index.hr, HRT - 06/10/07; Javno.com, Tanjug, Vecernji List, MIA, HINA - 05/10/07)