Amnesty International on Thursday expressed "great concern" over the honor Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor had recently given to two Croatian generals convicted of war crimes against Serbs and "glorification" of the Croatian military and police Operation Storm.
Amnesty International is very concerned and believes that such statements glorifying Operation Storm and persons who are considered responsible for war crimes committed during the operation could send a political message which could undermine the implementation of justice, AI said in a statement that was carried by the French news agency AFP.
This could discourage Croatia's judicial system from further investigating and processing war crimes committed during Operation Storm, AI said.
At a ceremony marking Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, War Veterans' Day and the 16th anniversary of Operation Storm, held in the southern town of Knin on Friday, Kosor sent special regards to generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac, which was applauded by those attending the ceremony.
Her statement was condemned by Serbian President Boris Tadic and the leader of the Serb minority in Croatia, Milorad Pupovac.
