Mesic sued the controversial U.S. businessman of Croat origin for having claimed in the presidential election campaign in late 2004 that French secret services had given Mesic a villa on the French Riviera.
Both Mesic and Miksic ran in the 2004 election.
Mesic told Judge Andrea Grahovac that he had been forced to sue Miksic because he never apologised for the lie which, Mesic said, could have seriously undermined the presidential campaign.
Mesic believes that if Miksic had not stated the lie that was carried by all the media, Mesic would have won the presidential election in the first round.
However, the election was held in two rounds, and both he and the state incurred unnecessary costs due to Miksic's lies, the plaintiff said.
According to Mesic, another reason for his action was to warn everybody participating in elections that they should not spread lies about their rivals, particularly not lies which may impute high treason, as is in this case.
Defendant Miksic failed to appear before the court today, and his lawyer excused his non-attendance with his business obligations.
Although Mesic's lawyer Cedo Prodanovic gave up on a motion that Miksic be questioned, the lawyers for Miksic insisted that their client should be offered a chance to present his defence.
Judge Grahovac granted the defence's motion and a new hearing was scheduled for 18 December.
Upon leaving the courtroom, Mesic told reporters that in case he won the case, he would donate the 60,000 kuna (approx. 8100 euros) he was demanding from the defendant to the orphanage in Nazorova Street in Zagreb.