RIJEKA, Jan 7 (Hina) - The continuation of the main hearing in the trial of the so-called Gospic Group, scheduled for Tuesday morning after a one-month-long break, was postponed after one of the five defendants, Milan Canic, the only
one who has been temporarily released from custody, and two witnesses, who should have testified today, did not appear in a court-room in the Rijeka County Court.
RIJEKA, Jan 7 (Hina) - The continuation of the main hearing in the
trial of the so-called Gospic Group, scheduled for Tuesday morning
after a one-month-long break, was postponed after one of the five
defendants, Milan Canic, the only one who has been temporarily
released from custody, and two witnesses, who should have testified
today, did not appear in a court-room in the Rijeka County Court.
#L#
The trial chamber's president, Judge Ika Saric, said Canic had
phoned her to tell that he could not arrive at the court room due to
the snowstorm which caused huge problems in the traffic in the
Rijeka wider area on Tuesday morning.
Canic was earlier released from custody, at the request of the
defence, given that no witness directly accused him of counts cited
in the indictment. So far Canic regularly attended hearings.
The trial will resume on Thursday, 9 January.
The Gospic Group, including defendants Tihomir Oreskovic, Mirko
Norac, Stjepan Grandic, Ivica Rozic and Canic, is indicted for war
crimes against civilians in the Gospic area in autumn 1991.
In the remaining final stage of the process, the defendants, their
lawyers and the prosecution are to give their closing arguments,
and subsequently the trial chamber should make a ruling. The trial
began in early February 2002.
(hina) ms