Hrvatski Vjesnik March 2004.
Law and Justice are not necessarily always the same thing. Sometimes what is law and what is justice travel in very different directions; sometimes they contradict. I’ve met men who others label outlaws and found them to be good honest men; and bad deceitful men who others label as law abiders. I judge no man by his label, rather his actions. One must never judge a book by its cover, but on what is actually written inside...
In short I believe he’s an innocent man caught up in a dirty political game and the treatment he has received an utter disgrace to any decent person. My understanding is that he rightly refuses to be either a scapegoat or pawn for certain others with underhand motives. The facts of the matter are that the Serbs were the aggressors in not only the Croatian war, but also those in Bosnia and Kosovo; and the overwhelming number of crimes committed during these wars collectively or individually, were perpetrated by Serbs against non-Serbs. The Hague prosecutors in an effort to appear even-handed began to indict certain Croatians. General Gotovina was one of those Croatians. I must stress the point here that to me - and I’m certain General Gotovina would agree with this too - if any individual plans, commits, or aids and abets in murder then that individual should be punished. However, despite unhelpful media reports and headlines to the contrary – there is one simple fact that people, Croatian or otherwise, must understand about the Gotovina case and that is that General Gotovina, has not individually murdered anybody, nor is there any evidence whatsoever that he personally ordered any individual’s murder. His ‘crime’ is to have been the commander of an operation, in the aftermath of which murders were committed by vengeful soldiers and paramilitaries not necessarily under his command. General Gotovina is charged with ‘Command responsibility’ not for the individual crimes themselves. My position is clear that any individual who plans, participates in, or aids and abets in the murder of any innocent person should receive a fair trial and be punished by a competent court of law in the interests of justice; and that I totally oppose that someone be selected on the vaguest of charges, based on the flimsiest of evidence, none of which links to the individual crimes in question, and receive a trial with a predetermined outcome, in the interests of politics...
I consider the Gotovina case primarily a moral issue, and request you cast aside any doubt in your mind and suspend any and all previous conflicting notions or political differences in order to take on a real understanding of what is actually at stake here – an innocent man’s liberty.
I urge any and all persons whether Croatian or otherwise to recognise the gross injustice against Ante Gotovina and to find it within yourself to contribute to this campaign. Everybody has his or her role to play. If one were to study the case and look at the facts one would become totally convinced of Ante’s innocence and summon up that motivation to do something...
Firstly get educated. Study the origin and dynamics of the war and the indictment to become politically aware. Link with other similarly minded campaigners, create web sites and exchange ideas, support each other and keep yourselves motivated. On this note an Internet based ‘Think Tank’ will soon be devised. Launch petitions; write to your local newspaper, your area’s political representative, and your government. Shout from the mountains and the rooftops! Be proud to be of Croatia and demonstrate your pride by fighting for he who fought for you! You are stronger than you think and right is on your side. You did it in 1991 – you can do it again now.
