The Croatian national association of disabled Homeland War veterans, which goes by the acronym HVIDRA, on Friday issued a statement condemning in the strongest terms statements by the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Serge Brammertz, published in an article headlined: "Croatia should decide on commemorations of Operation Storm, but society must know what really happened", saying that the statements encroached on the sovereignty of the independent Croatian state.
"We are shocked by claims whereby the Hague tribunal's official, as a party to ongoing court proceedings, acting contrary to principles of international law and in an entirely inappropriate and disrespectful way, encroaches on the sovereignty and integrity of the Croatian state at a time when Croatia has signed a Treaty of Accession to the European Union," HVIDRA says in the statement.
The association expressed disappointment with the failure of Croatian state authorities to respond to Brammertz's statement and called on the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister to respond, as soon as possible, to what it said was inappropriate interference by the UN tribunal's chief prosecutor in Croatia's sovereignty and independence.
"Speaking on behalf of disabled Homeland War veterans who have built their body parts into the foundations of Croatia's independence and freedom, we believe in a fair trial and in the innocence of our generals and we are certain that the Hague tribunal will deliver an acquittal in the appeals proceedings," reads the statement.
With Operation Storm, the Croatian army and police liberated areas held by Serb rebels, where a para-state called the Republic of Serb Krajina had been established. The operation restored Croatia's constitutional and legal order in the entire formerly occupied territory, except in eastern Slavonia which was peacefully reintegrated later. Operation Storm, along with Operation Flash, is the key action that brought the Homeland War to an end. An area of 10,400 square kilometres or 18.4 percent of Croatia's total territory was liberated in the operation. Every year, in line with the Croatian Constitution and the Law on Holidays and Memorial Days, Croatia celebrates August 5 as the Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Veterans, HVIDRA says.
"Since the comments in question concern the non-final verdict in the case against Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac, we consider it entirely inappropriate and an act of gross overstepping of powers that the other party in the proceedings is exerting pressure on a sovereign and independent country through the media," reads the statement signed by the president of the HVIDRA Main Board, Josip Perisa.
In an interview with the Croatian Internet portal H-Alter on Thursday, Hague tribunal chief prosecutor Brammertz said that it was up to Croatian authorities to decide if they would continue commemorating anniversaries of Operation Storm, but that the entire society should know what had really happened during that operation.
Brammertz made the statement when asked if Operation Storm should continue to be commemorated if the Hague tribunal upheld the trial court verdict sentencing Gotovina and Markac to 24 and 18 years in prison respectively.
