Croatia yesterday put itself on a collision course with the United Nations war crimes court, blocking the release of a suspect and saying it would refuse to extradite three army generals now under investigation.
The suspect, Mr Mladen Naletilic, nicknamed Tuta, is wanted by the UN International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia in The Hague for war crimes including torture, murder and forced expulsion of Muslims during the Bosnian war. Last Friday, Croatia's Supreme Court ruled that he must go to the The Hague to stand trial, apparently removing the last legal obstacle to his extradition. But yesterday the Justice Minister, Mr Zvonimir Separovic, said he could stay because he was too sick to travel.
The fact that he picked up his mystery illness only five days ago has deepened speculation here that such a trial might implicate others, including senior members of the Croatian government. Tuta was an associate of the late Croatian defence minister, Mr Gojko Susak, and had links with other senior officials in Zagreb.
Tuta was one of a breed of Bosnian gangsters who established themselves as local war-lords during the Bosnian war. He led his own ethnic Croat militia, named the Convict Battalion, allegedly made up of paroled prisoners.
He is charged together with fellow warlord Mr Vinko Martinovic, nicknamed Stela, with 17 war crimes against Muslims during 1993 and 1994. The pair were arrested by Croatian police two years ago and charged with murder and kidnapping, but their trial became open-ended, and was still going on when the UN war crimes tribunal made its own charges last year.
A few hours before the announcement, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman said three Croatian generals being investigated by the tribunal for offences against Serbs in 1995 would never be sent to The Hague.
"Croatian generals will not go to The Hague. Croatian generals liberated Croatia from the aggressor," he said. "Any war is a war. Just remember World War Two, remember Hiroshima. Remember what is taking place in Northern Ireland."
There is speculation that as with Tuta, Croatian officials are nervous that these generals might accuse government officials of ordering war crimes, something Croatia denies. Croatia has refused to hand over documents regarding the generals which were requested by The Hague.
The Foreign Minister, Mr Mate Granic, said that the generals could not go to The Hague because of a "dispute" between the UN court and Croatia over its terms of reference.
Croatia said that independent doctors were free to examine Tuta, who is known as a chainsmoker with a history of heart problems. But the government may have caused itself further problems. The International Court has already warned there will be international sanctions unless Tuta and the documents related to the investigation of the generals are handed over.
In fewer than three months the governing conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, now trailing an opposition group in the polls, must call elections, but it is likely to find any attempt to borrow cash from the West hit by sanctions because of its decisions on war crimes.
President Tudjman said yesterday his ruling HDZ would retain power in December parliamentary elections despite dwindling popularity amidst corruption and poverty.
The 77-year-old ruler, whose mandate expires in 2002, also said speculation that his health was worsening was unfounded and politically motivated "by those who would like to see a different kind of Croatia".)