BBC News, 16
November 2012
Related
Stories
Croatian war veterans have been holding vigils for Gotovina (left) and Markac |
A war
crimes court in The Hague has overturned the convictions of two Croatian
generals charged with atrocities against Serbs in the 1990s.
Appeals
judges at tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ordered the release of Ante
Gotovina and Mladen Markac.
In 2011
they were sentenced to 24 years and 18 years respectively over the killing of
ethnic Serbs in an offensive to retake Croatia's Krajina region.
Thousands
of people in Croatia's capital Zagreb cheered Friday's ruling.
'Final
judgement'
On Friday,
presiding Judge Theodor Meron said that court entered "a verdict of
acquittal" for Gen Gotovina and Gen Markac, both aged 57.
The two men
were last year convicted of of murder, persecution and plunder. Judges then
ruled that they were part of a criminal conspiracy led by late Croatian
President Franjo Tudjman to expel ethnic Serbs.
They
referred to the shelling of Knin and three other towns.
But on
Friday, Judge Meron said there had been no such conspiracy.
Court
officials also said prosecutors would not appeal against the ruling, describing
it as "the final judgement".
Neither defendant
showed emotion in court, but their supporters in the gallery hugged each other
and clapped after the verdict.
In Zagreb's
main square, thousands of people - who watched the proceedings live on giant TV
- burst into applause.
"Our
general are heroes because they risked their lives to save our country and
liberate the people," student Andjela Anic, 26, was quoted as saying by
the AFP.
On
Thursday, candle-lit vigils were held in Zagreb and Catholic churches around
the country as war veterans and bishops asked supporters to "raise their
voices against injustice".
Gotovina
and Markac, both 57, were convicted of murder and a range of war crimes and
crimes against humanity committed as their forces retook the Krajina region,
which had been under Serbian control since the start of the war in 1991.
About
200,000 ethnic Serbs were driven from Croatia in 1995 and at least 150 were
killed in a military offensive in Krajina known as Operation Storm.
The
operation to retake the region which had been under Serbian control since the
start of the war in 1991 was ordered by Mr Tudjman. The Croatian leader died in
1999 while being under investigation by The Hague tribunal.
The
aftermath of the war is a key issue both in Croatia's domestic politics and its
external relations.
The
European Union has made it clear to former Yugoslav republics that they will
not be considered for membership until war criminals are brought to justice.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.