THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Jan 26(Hina) - Former rebel Croatian Serbs' leader Milan Babic, charged with crimes against humanity committed in Croatia in 1991-92, should appear before the Hague war crimes tribunal on Tuesday for the second time
to enter his plea.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Jan 26(Hina) - Former rebel Croatian Serbs' leader
Milan Babic, charged with crimes against humanity committed in Croatia
in 1991-92, should appear before the Hague war crimes tribunal on
Tuesday for the second time to enter his plea.#L#
In his first appearance before the tribunal on November 26, Babic
refused to enter a plea. His attorney, Michael Mueller, announced the
possibility of his client plea bargaining with the Prosecutor's Office
and admitting guilt.
In the meantime, the 30-day deadline for the postponed plea entering
has been exceeded twice. Babic was supposed to appear before the
tribunal last Wednesday, but that was postponed. The Prosecutor's
Office refused to comment on indications that an agreement on
admission of guilt might be reached with him.
Babic, 48, showed willingness to cooperate with the Prosecutor's
Office last year when he testified against former Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic, severely accusing him of having caused the war in
Croatia and of having created, armed and supervised Serb troops. He
started testifying as a protected witness but ended it under his full
name.
Despite his cooperation, Babic was unable to avoid having the tribunal
indict him as one of the participants in the joint criminal enterprise
mentioned in the Milosevic indictment. The indictment against Babic,
referring to the 1991-92 period, was filed on 6 November 2003.
He is charged with one count of persecution on political, racial and
religious grounds as a crime against humanity, and with four counts of
murder, cruel treatment, wanton destruction of villages and other
civilian facilities as violations of laws or customs of war.
Between 1991 and 1995 Babic held the posts of president and prime
minister of the Serb paramilitary state in Croatia, which is why he is
included among the participants in the joint criminal enterprise whose
goal, under the indictment, was the forcible and permanent removal of
the majority of the Croat and other non-Serb population from roughly
one-third of Croatia's territory so that it could become part of a new
Serb-dominated state.
(Hina) ha sb