Accused of rocket attack on Serbian refugees in 1995 – Trial evolves in a period of cold relations between the two countries
The first major hearing in the trial of four Croatia Air Force pilots, who are accused of war crimes against civilians during the 1995 “operation” during the 1995 operation began on Friday.
Defendants Zdenko Raduli (70 years old), Zeljko Gelnic (69), Vladimir Mikacs (68) and Daniel Borovic (65) are in absentia as they remain out of service of Serbian justice from the launch of 20. Serbian refugees receding from the self -proclaimed “Republic of Serbian Kranina” to Serbia.
The attack took place on August 7 and 8, 1995 on the streets of Petrovac and Priyetor, near the city of Bosanski Petrovac in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At that time, two Croatian MIG-21 fighters fired multiple missiles against refugees, killing 13 people, including six children under 13, and injuring about 25 more civilians.
The attack was recorded in the context of the large military operation “Oluja”, in which the Croatian forces, with the assistance of the 5th Bosnian Army Corps, launched a large -scale attack on the recovery of territories occupied.
War crime or military necessity?
The attack has been reported by international organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, as a civil war crime. However, the Croatian authorities have so far deny any liability, arguing that the attacks were included in the context of legal war operations.
Serbia, for its part, argues that these are targeted attacks on civilians and that crimes should not be unpunished. This case is added to a long list of legal and diplomatic friction between Belgrade and Zagreb, with the relations between the two countries remaining strained.
Tense diplomatic climate
The trial is evolving into a period of cold relations between the two countries. Recently, Serbia recalled its ambassador to Zagreb, while on the Croatian side there were spikes that if it had not been revoked, it would be declared unwanted.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrei Plenkovic has just made a brief visit to Serbia since 2016, while Aleksandar Vucic had recently visited Zagreb in 2018. An indication of the 2022 episode was also an indication of the Croatian authorities.
The “Storm” operation, in addition to recapturing territories, has resulted in the exit of about 200,000 Serbian civilians from their homes – one of the largest population displacements in Europe after World War II. Petrovac’s tragedy remains an open wound for Serbian society and a central issue in memory and narrative of war.
The trial of the four Croatian pilots, even in absentia, is of particular symbolic and legal significance for Serbia, which seeks to recognize the crimes against the Serbian population. On the other hand, Croatia perceives these actions as a political tooling of justice. The outcome of the trial may affect Serbia’s future Euro-perostaxic relations, as well as the wider geopolitical stability in the Western Balkans.
Source: lifo.gr