Reaction of Serbian Media on Intl. Court Ruling

The Serbian media are for the most part relaying the foreign minister’s statement announcing a countersuit against Croatia.

ZAGREB, CROATIA – The decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague that it has jurisdiction over the lawsuit Croatia filed against Serbia for genocide is on the front pages of Serbian press on Wednesday. Articles with headlines “We Will Go To trial with Croatians” and “Lawsuit Against Croatia” for the most part relayed the statement of Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic who announced Serbia’s countersuit against Croatia for crimes in the Storm military operation.

Belgrade newspapers on Wednesday also cited party officials and politicians, which electronic media published on Tuessday, when the ICJ made its decision.

They lost the dispute with Croatia 

The media also recall pervious lawsuits. Belgrade’s “Politika” writes that the International Court of Justice also said it had jurisdiction over the lawsuit filed by Bosnia-Herzegovina against Serbiafor genocide, and that the authorities in Belgrade were responsible for not preventing genocide committed against Muslims in Srebrenica by Republika Srpska soldiers in 1995.

The paper also writes that the UN’s highest court established that financial damages would not be an appropriate form of reparation, as well as the authorities in Belgrade did not take part in the Srebrenica massacre because it has not been proven that they knew about the intention of the political and military leadership of the Republika Srpska leaders to commit genocide in Srebrenica, although they did help the Bosnian Serbs significantly.

Electronic media on Wednesday morning reiterated the news about the ICJ decision and cited Jeremic that Serbia would file a countersuit against Croatia.