The Austrian daily newspaper “Standard” published an analysis “Croatian right wing profited from the suicide of war criminal Praljak, ” in which it is emphasized that the Croatian government has no legal option to successfully start revision of Hague verdict for the Herzegovinian “six”.
The text describes how lanterns were burnt in Mostar and Zagreb in honor of Praljak, who poisoned himself in the Hague court after being sentenced to 20 years in prison. This newspaper states that “the reactions of Croatian nationalists to death of Praljak lead to wrong conclusion that this man is not a war criminal, but a saint”.
“Transformation of Praljak into the icon was obviously planned by him, “ and he hoped that his suicide would have political consequences, the newspaper states. One of them is that the Croatian government, as stated by “Standard” , refuses to accept the verdict of the Herzegovinian “six”, although Hague’s verdict was valued so far.
It is also emphasized that Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who is “more modest than a conservative-nationalist politician, “ began mentioning the unfair verdict and announced “legal and political steps, “ even though he knows that nothing can be done, reports Index.hr.
This is also confirmed by the spokesperson of the ICTY for “Standard”, who emphasizes that all legal possibilities are used. There are some rational voices in Croatia about the verdict of the Herzegovinian “six”, including former President Ivo Josipovic and former Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic, states the Austrian newspaper.
However, politicians who made a big national question from the verdict, such as Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, who “is already collecting nationalist votes for the 2019 re-election” are louder.
As the most scandalous statement, “Standard” chose the one from the president of HDZ BiH Dragan Covic, leader of the “very nationalistic party”, who said that the verdict was “a crime against all representatives of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)”.
“Covic is the exponent of a politics that has never given up the project of Herceg-Bosna, the completely Croatian entity in BiH, which was condemned in the Hague, “ concludes the “Standard”.
(Source: Faktor.ba)
