The acquittal rendered by ICTY appeals chamber has confirmed that the liberation of parts of our country was not a joint criminal enterprise, President Ivo Josipovic said at a reception he held in his office for two acquitted generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac on Friday evening after they arrived in Zagreb from The Hague.
The president also stressed that the generals were not responsible for crimes with which they had been charged.
Entering the president's headquarters, the two generals were welcomed by thunderous applause of their war comrades, the Croatian Armed Forces' top ranking Croatian officers, who gathered for this occasion.
After Josipovic's speech, the two generals also addressed the reception to thank all who helped them and who facilitated the latest developments.
"Our Homeland Defence War is impeccable. It is the foundations on which we are building our future," General Gotovina said.
"I was a mere policeman when I joined Croatia's defence forces at the start of the war. I am proud of everyone who has been with me since the very beginning," General Markac said.
"He added that he was deeply stricken by the indictment and the trial chamber's guilty ruling. Now I am happy that our generation and the generations to come will be able to say that we have no stain on the nation-building," Markac said.
