croatians honour war criminal who killed self in court
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Croatians honour war criminal who killed self in court

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Croatians honour war criminal who killed self in court

Since Bosnian Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak's suicide, Croats have paid multiple tributes to the late general.
Croatia - Arab Today

More than 2,000 people packed a public memorial in Zagreb on Monday for Bosnian Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak, whose final act was to commit suicide in front of UN judges.

Public buses ran free of charge to the ceremony for the wartime military commander, who swallowed potassium cyanide last month during a court hearing broadcast live around the world.

About 2,000 people filled the main concert hall where the memorial was held, while hundreds more crowed into the building's entry and hallways to watch on giant screens.

Praljak had a private funeral in Zagreb last week, according to media reports.

The 72-year-old took his life just seconds after appeal judges in The Hague upheld his 20-year jail sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity during Bosnia's 1990s conflict.

- 'Theatre of the absurd' -

The judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia confirmed that Praljak and his five Bosnian Croat co-defendants were part of a "joint criminal enterprise" to ethnically cleanse Bosnian Muslims in the war.

But since Praljak's death, Croats have paid multiple tributes to the late general, laying flowers and lighting candles in town squares in Croatia and Bosnia.

Monday's commemoration, organised by the Croatian generals' association, was attended by at least one government minister in the EU member state, along with top officials of the ruling conservative HDZ party.

The event, which lasted around an hour, included music, recitals and speeches by Praljak's associates and friends from the military, politics and theatre.

"No one can compare to a great man like Slobodan," said Miroslav Tudjman, an MP with the HDZ and son of late Croatian nationalist president Franjo Tudjman.

Tudjman branded the UN court's verdict as a "degradation of international justice".

"It's a parody, a theatre of the absurd," said Tudjman, slamming "incompetent and irresponsible judges at the court in The Hague".

- 'Croatian martyr' -

Zlatko Vitez, a well-known actor in Croatia, said that Praljak, who worked in film and theatre before joining the military, would be remembered as a "Croatian martyr".

The commemoration ended with a rendition of the Croatian national anthem led by a choir. The crowd, some of whom had travelled from Bosnia, stood up and joined the singing.

Before the ceremony, visitors queued up to sign two books of condolences.

Vjekoslav Balen, a 74-year-old pensioner in the queue, said Praljak was a "hero" who "took his own life for Croatia's wellbeing, for the future".

Later on Monday, a mass for Praljak was due to be held in a Zagreb church.

The appeals verdict for Praljak and his co-defendants was the last ruling from the ICTY before it shuts down at the end of the year.

Their convictions were upheld for crimes including murder, persecution and inhumane treatment.

Although allies against Serbs for most of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war, Croats and Muslims fought each other in 1993 and 1994.

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

croatians honour war criminal who killed self in court croatians honour war criminal who killed self in court

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

croatians honour war criminal who killed self in court croatians honour war criminal who killed self in court

 



GMT 21:16 2016 Monday ,27 June

Zaki Badr discusses cleaning problem in Giza

GMT 21:46 2017 Saturday ,14 January

Turkey arrests 60 businessmen for alleged Gulen ties

GMT 22:38 2017 Friday ,24 March

Abbas meets with Merkel in Berlin

GMT 09:02 2017 Monday ,27 March

Tunisian Premier Concludes Visit to Sudan

GMT 15:54 2017 Friday ,01 September

Attorney General Directs Prosecutors to inspect Prison

GMT 09:22 2017 Sunday ,31 December

HM King condoles with Afghanistan President

GMT 10:12 2016 Wednesday ,06 April

Strong dollar, mild weather shrink H&M profits

GMT 17:03 2016 Saturday ,24 December

7 police killed in attacks in Afghansitan

GMT 13:51 2017 Friday ,17 March

Israel denies Syria shot down a warplane

GMT 04:08 2017 Thursday ,05 January

Carbon tax can fund clean energy transition

GMT 19:27 2016 Wednesday ,14 September

Alstom to go ahead with plans to shut down Belfort plant

GMT 01:44 2017 Friday ,15 December

Mennat-Allah underlines importance of landscapes

GMT 04:57 2017 Thursday ,14 December

Trump tells NASA to send Americans to Moon

GMT 21:43 2017 Wednesday ,11 October

Qabil discusses with Swiss delegation improving power

GMT 21:06 2017 Sunday ,17 September

OIC condemns suicide attack in Kabul

GMT 08:27 2017 Thursday ,27 April

Nokia reports another loss as networks sag

GMT 19:41 2017 Monday ,06 February

Elina Svitolina Claims Taiwan Open Title

GMT 09:39 2017 Friday ,03 February

Former Brazilian president Lula's wife dies of stroke
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday