Croatian Army general Ante Gotovina believes that there is no need to hold protest rallies that have been announced by some war veterans' associations for April 16, the day after the Hague war crimes tribunal announces the verdict in the case against Gotovina and generals Mladen Markac and Ivan Cermak, attorney Luka Misetic has said.
We believe that acquittal is the only just verdict and that Gotovina will be on his way back to Croatia on the day of the announced protests, Misetic, who represented Gotovina before the Hague tribunal, said on Sunday.
He added that he believed that Gotovina would be acquitted because he had worked on the case for three years and knew what had and what had not been proven in the courtroom.
The protest in support of "criminalised, detained and convicted" Croatian veterans was announced by the Action for a Better Croatia (ABH) and the Homeland War Veterans Association 1990-1996.
The protest is expected to be held in Zagreb's central square Trg Bana Josipa Jelacica the day after the Hague tribunal announces the verdict in the case against Gotovina, Markac and Cermak.
Gotovina, Markac and Cermak were charged with crimes committed against local Serbs during and in the wake of the 1995 Operation Storm.
Their trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) began in March 2008, with the prosecution asking that Gotovina be sentenced to 27 years in prison, Markac to 23 years and Cermak to 17 years.
Gotovina has been in custody since December 2005 when he was arrested in the Canary Islands, while Cermak and Markac turned themselves in in March 2004.
