It is shameful that Minister Krstičević considers that we have to be proud of a military and police action during which civilians were murdered and tortured in the cruellest possible ways.
Let us remind you, during the military operation in Medak Pocket between 9 and 17 September 1993, grave violations of international humanitarian law were committed, including the expulsion and murders of Serb civilians and surrendered soldiers, and plundering and destruction of buildings and property of Serb civilians.
During that period, civilians and prisoners of war were exposed to cruel and inhumane treatment, including, inter alia, by causing serious injuries by means of shooting, stabbing, cutting of fingers, severe beatings with gunstocks, burning with cigarettes, jumping on bodies, tying bodies to a car and dragging them along the road, mutilation and other forms of mistreatment.
By particularly emphasising Mirko Norac in his statement, this relativizing the fact that he is a person convicted for war crimes against civilian population and prisoners of war, Minister Krstičević acted unconscientiously and dishonourably, that is, completely opposite from what Croatian laws demand from him as a Minister.
Krstičević is pleased that Norac, who had been in command of this Operation, was present at the 25th anniversary of Operation Medak Pocket, thus praising military activity which resulted in monstrosities.
We have informed the Ombudsman Office, Office for Human and National Minorities Rights, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Office of the Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and President of the European People’s Party about the said statements by Minister Krstičević which threaten human rights in Croatia and are offensive to victims.
We expect that Prime Minister Plenković properly responds to Minister’s shameful act and apologise for including Mirko Norac into Government’s protocol for marking the anniversary.
Unfortunately, government leadership once again failed to mention civilian victims while marking the anniversaries of military actions, thus knowingly deceiving the public that such victims do not exist.
We warn that 25 years after this Operation some of the perpetrators have not been brought to justice and prosecuted yet.
In Mirko Norac’s and Rahim Ademi’s judgment, it has been established that, besides Norac, the Operation was planned and implemented also by Davor Domazet Lošo, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Army, Željko Sačić, Deputy Commander of the Special Police, and Mladen Markač, Commander of the Croatian Interior Ministry Special Police, who was direct superior to Sačić.
Consequently, we call on State Attorney Dražen Jelenić to take more efforts so that competent prosecutor’s offices initiate proceedings against those responsible and thus start clarifying the role of the above-mentioned persons in Operation Medak Pocket.
