Stjepan Mesić: As President of Croatia, I carried out what was my obligation

ZAGREB, (Patria) - Former Croatian President Stjepan Mesić stated today that the initiative for the establishment of the Hague Tribunal was taken by Croatia and its first president Franjo Tuđman, and that consequently the Croatian Parliament adopted the Constitutional Law on Cooperation with that Tribunal, which obliges every citizen of the Republic of Croatia, including the highest state officials, to submit any requested document to the Tribunal and respond to any summons from the court in The Hague, as witnesses, suspects, or accused, Croatian media report, the Patria agency reports.

He emphasized that as the second elected President of the Republic of Croatia in two terms, he respected the letter and spirit of the Constitutional Law and acted accordingly, and that to his knowledge the same applies to the Governments of the Republic of Croatia.

- So I, as the head of state and government, respected what the Croatian Parliament obligated us to do - Mesić pointed out.

He added that every verdict of any court, including the one in The Hague, can be questioned from the perspective of justice and fairness. However, the final court verdict must be "respected and accepted," Mesić said, asserting that rejecting the verdict would mean disrespecting the judiciary, and in the specific case of the Hague Tribunal, retroactively derogating the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Croatia.

- I emphasize once again that as President of the Republic of Croatia, I respected and carried out what the Constitutional Law of the country I led by the will of the majority of its citizens obligated me to do. Any different behavior, whether mine or that of any other citizen, would mean a gross violation of the highest law of the country - Mesić emphasized in a statement to the public.