State Secretary Josip Salapić appeared on the show "N1 Studio uživo" to discuss the topic of the announced indictments against four Croatian military pilots, to be filed against them by the Serbian prosecutor's office for alleged war crimes against Serbian civilians during the Storm operation and on other current events in the judiciary.
State Secretary Salapić said that no one had cut Croatia any slack in the EU accession process, emphasizing that Croatia was among the EU member states with the longest accession negotiations and that it had joined the EU only after succesfully closing the negotiating chapter related to the judiciary. "We fulfilled our international and European commitments," he said.
With regard to international legal assistance, the State Secretary said the Ministry had not received a request.
“If you are indicting someone, it is only logical that a citizen of that country be interrogated. No one has been interrogated here and we don't know in what way Serbia has conducted investigative activities in neighbouring BiH. We do not accept the Serbian law on universal jurisdiction. All we know is the information from media reports in Serbia. Nobody has sent us anything”, says Salapić.
State Secretary Salapić also stressed that Croatia has not had any cooperation with the investigating bodies or the Ministry of Justice of Serbia since 2019.
On the subject of the new Pardons Act, the State Secretary said the 2003 Pardons Act was still in force. The Ministry of Justice had prepared a new law during the previous government term and referred it to the Parliament, but after not being adopted by the previous convocation, it had not come back on the agenda. As President Milanović had said he would not use the institute of pardon, there was no point in working on a new law anymore.
Asked about the High Administrative Court's judgement that a gay couple has the right to adopt, the State Secretary said the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration was not competent for the matter. When it comes to adopting children, there are special laws that are quite clear and strict. It is a question for the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy. "What I can tell you is that the rule of law as well as court decisions and laws should be respected", Salapić concluded.
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