War crimes accused dies, 84

General Janko Bobetko, Croatia's former army chief and the most senior Croat to be indicted for war crimes by the tribunal in the Hague, died yesterday in Zagreb aged 84.

His death brought closure to the worst crisis in Croatia's relations with the rest of the world, when the government risked United Nations sanctions and a freeze in relations with the European Union after refusing to transfer him to the Hague.

The officer, who came out of retirement in 1992 to command Croatia's eventually successful war against rebel Serbs and the Yugoslav army, was accused of command responsibility for the murder of more than 100 Serbs in 1993.

The charges caused uproar in Croatia. The government said Gen Bobetko was too ill to face trial.

The Hague suspended the indictment after the claim was vindicated by Dutch doctors.