THE HAGUE, Feb 26 (Hina) - A regular status conference in the "Blaskic case" was held at the Hague-based U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on Wednesday. Participants in the short conference, that was presided by judge
Faust Pocar, voiced hope that the appeals procedure, which has lasted for almost three years, would be expedited.
THE HAGUE, Feb 26 (Hina) - A regular status conference in the
"Blaskic case" was held at the Hague-based U.N. war crimes tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia on Wednesday. Participants in the short
conference, that was presided by judge Faust Pocar, voiced hope
that the appeals procedure, which has lasted for almost three
years, would be expedited. #L#
It was established that in the procedure during which new evidence
had been introduced the defence was expected to respond to the
latest counter-evidence of the prosecution by March 5, after which
the trial chamber would make a final ruling. The chamber can annul
the verdict and order a re-trial on several or all counts of the
indictment before the court of first instance, or only discuss the
new evidence and change the verdict.
General Tihomir Blaskic, a former commander of the Central Bosnia
operative zone, was on March 3, 2000, sentenced to 45 years in
prison for war crimes committed in the Lasva Valley during the 1993
Muslim-Croat conflict, and the appeals procedure has lasted
since.
It was confirmed today that Blaskic's health problems, which were
the reason for the postponement of some deadlines in the procedure,
had been mostly removed. Blaskic thanked the court for
understanding and the medical staff for help.
Blaskic's attorney Russell Haymann, who participated in the
conference via the phone from Los Angeles, confirmed the defence
would respond to the prosecution's evidence on March 3.
Blaskic's attorneys Haymann and Anto Nobilo presented the court
with new evidence that was discovered in the archives of the
Croatian Defence Council (HVO), the Bosnian Army and the Croatian
President's Office. The evidence reveals the existence of a double
line of command and largely exculpates Blaskic for crimes from the
indictment, particularly for the massacre of some 100 Muslims in
the village of Ahmici.
The trial chamber said the evidence was credible and questioned the
verdict, but the prosecution opposed this, submitting twice as much
counter-evidence, and refusing the possibility of a retrial.
(hina) rml