THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, March 5 (Hina) - The trial of Milan Mrksic, the commander of the first motorised guard brigade of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) which in 1991 demolished and conquered the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar,
will not begin this year nor early next year either, it was said at a status conference of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Wednesday.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, March 5 (Hina) - The trial of Milan Mrksic, the
commander of the first motorised guard brigade of the former
Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) which in 1991 demolished and conquered
the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar, will not begin this year nor
early next year either, it was said at a status conference of the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
Wednesday. #L#
The general assessment is that it is not likely for the trial to
begin this or early next year, Judge Carmel Agius said at the
conference.
Asked by the judge whether he had some complaints about his
detention, Mrksic said he had none but he voiced his concern with
his condition and asked to be examined by a cardiologist.
The ICTY indicted Mrskic, who was promoted to the rank of a Yugoslav
Army general after the fall of Vukovar, along with Veselin
Sljivancanin and Miroslav Radic for crimes against humanity, the
violation of the laws and customs of war and severe beaches of the
Geneva Convention by slaughtering 200 prisoners of war from the
Vukovar Hospital (the Ovcara massacre).
Mrksic has been in the ICTY detention centre since May 15, 2002.
(hina)it sb