WE ARE CERTAIN THAT DEL PONTE WILL AMEND, AND PERHAPS EVEN WITHDRAW, THE INDICTMENT AGAINST GENERAL GOTOVINA

Date: 5/8/2002, Type: Press Realeses, Media: No data

GENERAL GOTOVINA´S DEFENSE RESPONDS TO CARLA DEL PONTE: WE ARE CERTAIN THAT DEL PONTE WILL AMEND, AND PERHAPS EVEN WITHDRAW, THE INDICTMENT AGAINST GENERAL GOTOVINA

Despite her statement on HTV last night, I am certain that Carla Del Ponte will in fact amend, and perhaps even withdraw, the indictment against General Gotovina. In particular, Madam Del Ponte is absolutely aware that her allegation that General Gotovina "ethnically cleansed" 150,000 to 200,000 Serbs from Croatia is absurd.

This allegation has been criticised from around the world and has brought great embarrassment to her office. I am certain that she will withdraw this charge.

Unfortunately, Madam Del Ponte refuses to withdraw the charge at this time. The reason is simple: she, the Racan Government and the international community fear that by withdrawing the indictment against General Gotovina before he appears in The Hague, the Racan government will be destabilized because both the "radical right" and the Croatian public will condemn the Racan government for having insisted on the extradition of General Gotovina, and for having intentionally and illegally refused to provide General Gotovina´s lawyers with documents necessary to prepare his defense.

The insistence of the Racan Government and Carla Del Ponte that Gotovina first appear in The Hague is thus nothing more than an attempt to ensure the political survival of the Racan government.

However, General Gotovina´s position has been clear from the beginning: he will not be anyone´s sacrificial lamb. He will not be a sacrificial lamb to ensure the stability of Racan´s government, and he will not be a sacrificial lamb so that Madam Del Ponte can demonsrate to the Serbs that she is "evenhanded" and prosecuting Croats.

General Gotovina will continue to demonsrate to the world his innocence and the injustice of the charges against him.

Luka Misetic