Documenta: ICTY Decision May Have Far-Reaching Effect on Post-Yugoslav Societies

01 October 2007

The Documenta Centre for Dealing with the Past warns of the possible consequences of the decision of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia in the case of the people responsible for the execution of wounded patients from the Vukovar Hospital.

ICTY decided that Miroslav Radic will walk as a free man, while Mile Mrksix and Veselin Sljivancanin were sentenced to terms-in-prison quite not suited to the graveness of their crimes.

�The decision is especially disappointing for the families of the victims, in particular the fact that the highest officers of JNA, Blagoje Adzic and Veljko Kadijevic were not brought to justice, in spite of their obvious responsibility as commanding officers�, says Documenta�s press release.

The association is concerned with the fact that this decision has, in fact, reduced the possibility to prosecute the responsible Yugoslav Army officers for crimes against humanity.

Documenta warns that the decision may have far-reaching effect on Croatia and other post-Yugoslav societies. In Croatia and B&H, it could lead to further deterioration of confidence in the work of international judicial institutions, while in Serbia it could be used to justify the crimes.

Documenta demands and expects from ICTY to declare, in the appeals procedure, a more appropriate sentences for the persons responsible for handing over wounded and ill to the Serb paramilitaries. Also, the judiciaries of the post-Yugoslav countries should investigate the culpability of the highest ranking JNA officers.