ICTY PROSECUTION COMMENTS ON INDICTEE BABIC'S PLEADING GUILTY

THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Jan 27(Hina) - Pleading guilty to persecution as a crime against humanity, former Croatian Serb leader Milan Babic admitted that an ethnic cleansing campaign was carried out against Croats while he held relevant offices, the spokeswoman for the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal's prosecution said on Tuesday afternoon. #L# "He confessed to all that had happened, and that the ethnic cleansing of Croats was carried out at the time when he held responsible posts," spokeswoman Florence Hartmann told Hina on the phone. She described Babic's confession as "important for the prosecution" as the facts reconstructed in the investigation and evidence were confirmed by the person who was highly positioned at the time when the crimes were committed. The trial chamber on Tuesday did not make a decision on accepting the plea agreement signed by Babic and the prosecution on 22 January. Judge Alphonse Orie said the trial chamber would consider the agreement and subsequently notify the parties of its decision. He went on to say that the trial chamber had not accepted the initial version of the plea bargain of 6 January as it decided that Babic's guilt was described in a much milder tone than in the indictment. Hartmann pointed out the significance of Babic's statement about his deep "shame and remorse" over the crimes committed by the Serb forces and his appeal for forgiveness and reconciliation. (Hina) ms sb