The Appeals Chamber's decision supported a conclusion by the Trial Chamber that conflict of interest stemmed from conflict over the loyalty commitment which the two lawyers have towards Cermak and another Croatian general Rahim Ademi, representing the former before the Hague tribunal and the latter before a Croatian court in an entirely different case.
The issue of potential conflict of interest on the part of Cermak's two lawyers was initiated last year by the defence of another Croatian general, Ante Gotovina, when it announced that it might call Ademi to testify in the trial against Cermak, Gotovina and Croatian general Mladen Markac.
The Hague tribunal previously excluded Miroslav Separovic from Markac's defence, also due to conflict of interest.
Cermak, Markac and Gotovina was charged with war crimes committed in 1995 during Operation Storm.