The United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague is to deliver verdicts in the trial of three Croatian generals on Friday.
Ante Gotovina, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac have been accused of war crimes against ethnic Serbs during a military operation aimed at retaking a Serb-held part of Croatia during the 1990s Balkans conflict.
Prosecutors have charged the generals with aiding and abetting murder, deportation and persecution of Serb civilians in the aftermath of the August 1995 “Operation Storm,” which resulted in the recapture of Croatia’s Krajina region.
General Gotovina, the most senior of the three, is facing a prison term of up to 27 years.
The generals have denied any wrongdoing, and their lawyers have expressed confidence that they will be acquitted. The three are considered heroes of liberation in their country.
In Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, veterans of the war of independence have scheduled a parade Thursday to be followed by an overnight prayer for the generals.
Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said she expects the U.N. court will set them free. She has asked supporters to refrain from any extreme reactions in case of a negative verdict.
