Accessibility links

Croatia Charges Former Official With War Crimes


Former Interior Ministry adviser Tomislav Mercep has been charged with war crimes against Serb civilians.
Former Interior Ministry adviser Tomislav Mercep has been charged with war crimes against Serb civilians.
Croatia has indicted a former senior interior ministry official, charging him with war crimes against Serb civilians at the beginning of the country's independence war in the early 1990s.

On June 9, the prosecution confirmed the indictment on its website with the defendant's initials, as is the usual legal practice, while local media identified the suspect as Tomislav Mercep, 58.

Croatia fought a four-year war against rebel Serbs backed and armed by Belgrade. The impartial handling of war crimes is an important condition for Croatia's European Union accession.

Zagreb is in the final stage of EU entry talks and the European Commission is expected on June 10 to recommend that member states wrap up membership talks with Croatia in the coming weeks.

Croatia expects to join the bloc in mid-2013.

compiled from agency reports

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG