ICTY verdict should not influence International Court of Justice
State Secretary in the Serbian Justice Ministry Slobodan Homen said Friday that the verdict of the tribunal in The Hague, which sentenced to lengthy prison terms five former Serb state and military officials for crimes in Kosovo, should not influence the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with regards the legality of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Saturday, February 28, 2009
"This verdict should not affect in any way the ICJ, because the Hague tribunal dealt with the individual accountability of the defendents, and it did not and cannot determine the responsibility of a country," Homen said.
Speaking about the ICJ decision, Himen said that he is deeply convinced that Serbia is absolutely in the right here and that the issue of individual accountability and that of a country cannot be linked in any way.
"If the law and justice are involved, I believe that the ICJ should rule in favour of Serbia," Homen stated.
He did not want to comment the verdict of the Hague tribunal, recalling that the the position of the Serbian Justice Ministry is to never comment the rulings of Serbian and international courts.
