At the end of the appeals hearing, the defendants spoke for the first time about their role. Gotovina addressed the tribunal in French. He said that during the war he carried out a number of difficult duties and that he always tried to preserve human lives whenever that was possible. He expressed regret about being on the run from the ICTY.

I am the first one to regret that, he said.

Gotovina told the judges he expected nothing more than what his lawyers had asked.

Markac stressed he was no war criminal or a member of a joint criminal enterprise. "I did not commit or plan crimes, this is not in accordance with my beliefs. As a human being and a humanist I expect you to carefully study the material and deliver a just verdict, Markac said.