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| Croats in Hague war crimes trial | Croats in Hague war crimes trial |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Three Croatian former generals have gone on trial at the UN war crimes tribunal accused of the persecution and murder of Croatian Serbs in the 1990s. | |
| Ante Gotovina, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac deny charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity including persecution, murder and plunder. | |
| Mr Gotovina's capture in the Canary Islands in 2005 led to protests in Croatia, where many see him as a hero. | |
| The Hague trial is due to last more than a year. | |
| The three men are alleged to have played key roles in Operation Storm, a three-month offensive that took place in Croatia's eastern Krajina region in 1995. | |
| ANTE GOTOVINA Born 12 Oct 1955Fought in French Foreign LegionCommanded Croatian forces against Serb troops in Krajina region, 1995Early retirement, 2000Indicted for war crimes in Krajina, 2001Arrested in Tenerife, Dec 2005 class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/4514150.stm">Profile: Ante Gotovina The indictment, dating from 2001, says they planned the ethnic cleansing of Serbs from their self-declared republic. | |
| "This trial arises from the forcible elimination of Krajina Serbs from Croatia and the destruction of their communities in August 1995 and the roles and responsibilities of the generals in that process," prosecutor Alan Tieger said in his opening statement. | "This trial arises from the forcible elimination of Krajina Serbs from Croatia and the destruction of their communities in August 1995 and the roles and responsibilities of the generals in that process," prosecutor Alan Tieger said in his opening statement. |
| "The Serb community was a scarred wasteland of destroyed villages and homes. | "The Serb community was a scarred wasteland of destroyed villages and homes. |
| "The case is about three men who were instrumental in those crimes." | |
| Mr Gotovina, a former French Foreign Legionnaire, is charged with responsibility for the murder of about 150 Serbs and persecution and deportation of thousands. | |
| About 200,000 Serbs, many of them elderly, were forced out of the region during the offensive. | |
| 'Trial of the century' | 'Trial of the century' |
| All three accused - who had pleaded not guilty to the charges - sat side-by-side in court as Mr Tieger was outlining the prosecution case. | All three accused - who had pleaded not guilty to the charges - sat side-by-side in court as Mr Tieger was outlining the prosecution case. |
| Mr Gotovina spent four years on the run before being arrested at a hotel in Spain's Canary Islands in 2005. | |
| The first couple of days of the trial are being shown on national television in Croatia, where it is being dubbed "the trial of the century". | |
| Mr Gotovina's lawyer says his client ended the wars in Bosnia and Croatia and fought against former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic. | Mr Gotovina's lawyer says his client ended the wars in Bosnia and Croatia and fought against former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic. |
| The defence argues that Mr Gotovina deserves praise, not a war crimes indictment. | |
| More than 130 witnesses are expected to be called during the trial. | More than 130 witnesses are expected to be called during the trial. |
Are you Croatian? What is your reaction to this story? | Are you Croatian? What is your reaction to this story? |