The Croatian Justice Ministry has confirmed receipt of an international request from the prosecutorial authorities of Bosnia ad Herzegovina regarding proceedings against Croatian wartime commanders, and said the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor (DORH) is expected to decide on further steps.

A State Secretary at the ministry, Josip Salapic, said in an interview with Nova TV on Saturday that the request referred to the transfer of proceedings against several retired Croatian military commanders from the 1995 Croatian police and army Operation Flash, charged with war crimes.

Salapic said the cases would be forwarded to DORH to decide.

We believe DORH will inform the public in the coming days what the cases refer to, he said.

Bosnian media earlier reported that the State Prosecutor's Office addressed Croatian authorities, demanding to take over the criminal prosecution of retired military commanders.

Earlier this week, President of Croatia Zoran Milanovic said that Bosnia and Herzegovina's charges against Croatian wartime commanders were unproved and that Croatia would protect them.