"The judge made the decision based on the opinion of a team of doctors that the suspect is mentally and physically unfit to follow the proceedings," Zagreb County Court spokesman Kresimir Devcic told Hina.
"Since the proceedings were suspended, the judge estimated that there were no conditions for taking any procedural action, including a decision on detention," Devcic said.
Judge Posavec believes that in case of continuation of the investigation and detention of Glavas, the suspect would have to be transferred from the Osijek hospital, where he is currently recovering from a 37-day hunger strike, back to the prison hospital in Zagreb, which would additionally aggravate his already complicated condition, the spokesman explained.
The investigation in the Garage Case was formally suspended only against Glavas, but not against the second suspect, Krunoslav Fehir. According to Devcic, since the two men are suspects in the same case and their roles were connected, the investigation was also effectively suspended against Fehir, who had been granted provisional release pending completion of the inquiry.
The investigation was expected to resume as soon as Glavas became fit to participate in investigative hearings.
One of Glavas's lawyers, Ante Madunic, said he was pleased with the judge's decision, particularly with his statement that it was not necessary to remand Glavas in custody. "I hope it will stay that way even when the investigation resumes," the lawyer said.
Glavas, an independent member of Parliament, is also suspected, along with six other persons, of involvement in the murder of Serb civilians on the banks of the Drava river in 1991. This case is also known as the Sellotape Case because the victims were tied up with adhesive tape before execution.
The Osijek County Court has temporarily suspended the investigation in the Sellotape Case because of Glavas's poor health.