Plenković: Praljak's act deeply moral, Croatia continues with friendly relations towards BiH

ZAGREB, (Patria) - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković addressed the public on the occasion of today's events in The Hague where Slobodan Praljak, after a guilty verdict, drank poison, from which he died several hours later.

“On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and personally, I wish to express my deepest condolences to the family of General Slobodan Praljak. His act, which we all unfortunately witnessed today, speaks most of the deep moral injustice towards the six Croats from BiH and the Croatian people,” said Plenković. He added that Croatia will use all mechanisms to challenge certain segments of the verdict.

The Croatian Prime Minister said that the verdict cannot affect the relations between Bosniaks and Croats within Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that Croatia will continue to advocate for the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“I want to send a message to friendly Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose territorial integrity we respect, that we will ensure that we continue to be advocates for the EU path of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Plenković.

Former Prime Minister of the Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosna Jadranko Prlić was sentenced to 25 years in prison, Minister of Defence Bruno Stojić to 20 years in prison, two HVO Chief of Staff members Slobodan Praljak and Milivoj Petković to 20 years each, HVO Military Police Commander Valentin Ćorić to 16 years, and Head of the Department for Detainees Berislav Pušić to 10 years in prison.

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today, within the appeal verdict for former leaders of the self-proclaimed Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosna, also determined that there was an international armed conflict in BiH and a state of occupation, and confirmed the existence of a Croatian joint criminal enterprise with the aim of ethnic cleansing of parts of BiH.