Kandic said the indictment was flawed because it charged the 16 accused with war crimes against prisoners of war, although it had been clear already during the investigation that the people abducted from the Vukovar hospital also included civilians, a pregnant woman, a 16-year-old boy and wounded people.
"Investigation files have proven beyond doubt the criminal responsibility of individuals, of whom some appeared in this trial as witnesses," Kandic said, adding that those witnesses were former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) officers, who testified for the prosecution and who shifted the blame for the crime to members of the Territorial Defence (TO) and Serb Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj's units. Some of those officers had been visiting Vukovar for years and "celebrating the alleged liberation of the town with members of the TO and Seselj's units," Kandic said.
"It is certain that this is the first trial at which the public in Serbia was made aware that there were victims on the Croatian side, which has paved the way to restoring the victims' dignity, reputation and honour. Acknowledging the victims means taking over responsibility for the pain, suffering and injustice done to the Ovcara victims and their families," Kandic said, adding that the trial chamber had conducted the trial in a fair and professional manner and with great care for the victims.
Defence attorneys for former Vukovar TO commander Miroljub Vujovic, his deputy Stanko Vujanovic, and TO members Ivan Atanasijevic, Predrag Madzarac, Jovica Peric and Milan Vojnovic requested that their clients be acquitted, analysing numerous pieces of evidence introduced during the 1.5-year long trial.
A defence attorney for Peric said that Croatian units that defended Vukovar were not regular forces, but rebels and that the defence of Vukovar was an act of forcible secession.
The trial continues on Tuesday with the presentation of closing statements by defence counsel for the other ten members of the TO and the "Leva Supoderica" paramilitary unit.
The 16 accused are charged with war crimes committed on the Ovcara farm outside the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar in November 1991.