War Crimes Tribunal Orders 3 Bosnian Suspects Freed
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal ordered three Bosnian Croats set free Friday, an unprecedented move taken “in the interests of justice” since there was not enough evidence to try them.
The move came just one day after NATO troops arrested two other Bosnian Croats on war crimes charges and delivered them to the tribunal for trial.
The U.N. court ordered the immediate release of Marinko Katava, Pero Skopljak and Ivan Santic. All had been accused of atrocities in the Lasva River Valley in central Bosnia, where hundreds of Muslims were killed or mistreated in a 1993 ethnic purge.
“Upon further investigation and review of the available evidence, the prosecutor is now satisfied that there is insufficient basis to justify proceeding to trial,” chief prosecutor Louise Arbour said.
Katava clasped his hands in apparent prayer and seemed close to tears as he was ordered set free. The other two suspects were ordered released at a separate hearing.
The three were among 10 Bosnian Croats who surrendered in October under pressure from Zagreb authorities, who in turn were pushed by the United States to turn over suspects. All had proclaimed their innocence.
The releases were a first for the court, threatening to cast doubts over the indictments of others accused of atrocities in the Lasva Valley.
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