During the trial of General Ante Gotovina and the other two generals (Mladen Markac and Ivan Cermak) we requested to be provided with a certain number of military documents pertaining to Operation Storm. However, now when the trial chamber made a ruling in this case, we no longer insist on the delivery of those documents in the context of the ongoing proceedings before the tribunal, Brammertz told the web portal.

Croatian officials have pledged to continue an investigation about where those documents are regardless of our position, so that they can solve the problems for their own purposes, he added.

Brammertz announced his visit to countries in the former Yugoslavia in May, when he is likely to meet the new Croatian government.

Assessing the legacy of this UN tribunal, Brammertz said that the ICTY had played a crucial role in prosecuting war criminals from the region.

The Hague tribunal started operating when national courts either could not or did not want to bring war criminals to justice, he said.

He is certain that the ICTY has contributed to the process of reconciliation and coming to terms with the past. The ICTY chief prosecutor believes that it is now up to local politicians and institutions to take on the leading role in the continuation of that process.

We are aware that coming to terms with the past is a complex process. Many find it difficult to accept that their war heroes actually abused their position and committed serious crimes against civilians. Therefore it is important for the Hague tribunal to support by documents the irrefutable truth, he added.

On 15 April 2011, the ICTY trial chamber sentenced Gotovina to 24 years and Markac to 18 years and acquitted Cermak on war crimes. The appeals proceedings are under way for the convicted generals.