[JURIST] ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte [official profile] has said that the handover of a top fugitive may not be necessary for a positive recommendation needed by Croatia to begin its bid for EU membership. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia [official website; JURIST news archive] prosecutor has previously called for the EU to pressure Croatia and Serbia [JURIST report] to do more to apprehend indicted war crimes suspects still at large in the region. Former Croatian General Ante Gotovina [ICTY case information sheet], accused of murdering Serb civilians in 1995 during efforts to expel Serb forces from Krajina, remains at large. Del Ponte has suggested in comments to the press that it may not be necessary for Croatia to hand over the general for it to obtain a positive review from her, but she stressed that full cooperation was needed from Zagreb, such as an indication as to Gotovina's whereabouts. EUobserver has more.