LDP: Senior officials’ challenges to Hague court rulings threaten the rule of law

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), responding to recent reactions and statements by senior state and political officials regarding the latest rulings related to war crimes in the former Yugoslavia, reiterated one of the fundamental principles of modern law: criminal responsibility rests solely with the individual.

According to the LDP, portraying court rulings as attacks against an entire nation constitutes a direct diversion from the personal responsibility of individuals, as well as a dangerous form of manipulative populism.

The party stressed that collective responsibility does not exist and that no ruling by a domestic or international court can or should be attributed to an entire nation, community or ethnic group. According to the party, the principle of individual responsibility is inviolable and must be applied equally in every case.

The LDP emphasized that the Serbian people are not genocidal because of the crimes committed by Karadžić, Mladić and Milošević. Likewise, the rulings concerning Hashim Thaçi and former KLA leaders do not condemn the Albanian people or their historical aspirations, while international justice proceedings against military general Gotovina, related to the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, do not make the Croatian people criminals, the LDP stated./Telegrafi/