Mesic on presidential pardons
Saturday, December 12th, 2009Mesic on presidential pardons
Asked by reporters if he would be “openhanded” when it came to presidential pardons at the end of his term in office, President Mesic said that, “pardons were a sign of clemency to those who had met the conditions for it,” and that the number of pardons issued did not depend on him, but rather on the facts established for those that submit requests for a pardon. Asked whether he would pardon General Mirko Norac, Mesic said that he did not know because, as he said, Norac would first have to submit a request, and that he had yet to be sentenced to an integral prison term for the two criminal proceedings that had been led against him. As concerns the possible pardon of Hrvoje Petrac, Mesic noted that the court had taken all the circumstances in consideration in pronouncing its verdict and that, if their were reasons for a pardon, the competent commission would “take that into consideration and make its decision.”
