Press Release (2002) 114 3 October 2002

Statement by the Secretary General of NATO on the obligation of the Croatian government to comply with ICTY Cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) is an obligation for all countries and parties of the former Yugoslavia, regardless of their domestic laws. Failure to do so is neither acceptable nor helpful in supporting efforts to establish sustainable peace and stability throughout the region. I therefore call upon the Croatian government to fulfill its obligation to cooperate with the ICTY and fully comply with the Tribunal's request regarding General Janko Bobetko who was indicted by the Tribunal on 23 August 2002 for war crimes committed against Croatian Serbs in 1993 in the area known as the Medak pocket. Failure to cooperate could have a counterproductive impact on movement towards NATO and further integration within the Euro-Atlantic Community. NATO is a strong supporter of the ICTY and has actively contributed to its work by detaining and transferring suspected war criminals.

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