Eleven Croatian international sports stars, including Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic, have urged the reformist government to protect army generals who might be wanted as suspects by the UN war crimes tribunal.
In an open letter, carried by state news agency Hina, the 11, including six members of the national soccer team, said they were dismayed by the government's decision to hand over two generals to the Hague tribunal.
The tribunal last week demanded the prompt arrest of two suspects named in sealed indictments. Media named the suspects as retired General Ante Gotovina and General Rahim Ademi.
"We do not understand politics, but we are reasonable people hurt by injustice. Croatia was the victim (in the war) and its soldiers and generals were heroes," the letter said.
The signatories included, among others, AC Milan soccer star and former Croatia captain Zvonimir Boban and Middlesbrough striker Alen Boksic.
All had been in the Adriatic city of Split on Tuesday to take part in a wild homecoming party for Ivanisevic after he clinched the Wimbledon title.
Their letter came after the coalition cabinet voted to comply with the tribunal at the weekend, with four ministers of the Social Liberal party resigning over the issue.
The move prompted Prime Minister Ivica Racan to demand a confidence vote for the government in parliament. The vote will take place on Sunday.
Last year, the entire national soccer team signed a letter of support to a group of army generals who were sacked by reformist President Stipe Mesic for publicly criticising the government's policy of cooperating with the Hague tribunal.
The move backfired on the team which was roasted by the media, regardless of the players' sporting achievements, for meddling in political affairs.
The public fury forced the long-time coach Miroslav Blazevic to step down and some key members of the team that came third in the 1998 World Cup in France - including Igor Stimac and Boksic - to retire from international soccer.
Stimac, former Hajduk Split player who spent much of his career in England, is a member of an ultra-nationalist National Democratic Party. Boban gave public support to another nationalist group, HIP, founded by Miroslav Tudjman, the son of Croatia's late President Franjo Tudjman.