U.N. court to consider Serbia genocide case

By Aaron Grey-Block

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The U.N.'s highest court ruled on Tuesday it had jurisdiction to examine Croatia's accusation that Serbia committed genocide in the Croatian 1991-95 independence war.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Serbia was bound by the 1948 Genocide Convention and that the tribunal had jurisdiction in the case up until at least November 2000 when Serbia became a member of the United Nations.

The 17-judge court said it would examine Serbia's objection that it cannot be held accountable for any breach of the genocide convention prior to its creation as a state in April 1992.

"We are still considering all options including out of court settlement and filing a counter suit," Serbia's Justice Minister Snezana Malovic told journalists in Belgrade. "However, we hope that the court's final decision will be in Serbia's favour."

In a suit filed in 1999, Croatia is seeking reparations from Serbia on the grounds that the Belgrade authorities were liable for ethnic cleansing committed against Croatian citizens, including killing, torture, displacement and destruction of property.

"This ruling is a great legal success for Croatia ... however this is just the first round," Croatia's Justice Minister Ivan Simonovic told the state news agency Hina in The Hague.

'HUGE SUFFERING'

Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said it was of the utmost importance to investigate all those who masterminded and perpetrated the atrocities in Croatia, and for Serbia to face its recent past.