MIRKO NORAC'S ATTORNEY GIVES SUMMATION AT "GOSPIC GROUP" TRIAL

RIJEKA, March 18 (Hina) - The defence attorney of an indictee in the trial of the so-called Gospic Group on Tuesday made his closing statement at Rijeka County Court. Mirko Norac's attorney Ivan Kern contested all claims in the indictment pertaining to Norac, stressing that "the situation depicted in the indictment is far from reality". #L# Kern said that in Gospic at the time in question, autumn of 1991, there had been no system of parallel command in the military, and Norac had not been independent and free when making decisions. Stating that all evidence presented in the trial, as well as witness testimonies, were insufficient to convict Norac, Kern said there was no proof that Norac had ordered the committed crimes, nor had had any command responsibility. Norac's second attorney, Tomislav Sabljak, will give his summation tomorrow. Retired Croatian Army General Mirko Norac was in the autumn of 1991 the commanding officer of the 118th Gospic Brigade. According to the indictment, Norac and indictee Tihomir Oreskovic issued orders to abduct at least 50 civilians, mostly Serbs, from houses and cellars in Gospic and Karlobag. The civilians were later killed in Pazariste, Lipova Glavica and Crni Dabar on Mount Velebit, also under Norac's and Oreskovic's orders, says the indictment. Norac has also been indicted for the murder of a woman whom he allegedly set aside from a group of civilians and attempted murder of a man during a liquidation in Pazariste. Besides Norac and Oreskovic, other indictees are Stjepan Grandic, accused of organising the detention of civilians in a military barracks in Perusic and the liquidation of a group of civilians in Lipova Glavica; and Ivica Rozic, accused of abducting three Serbs from Karlobag and their execution on Velebit. The trial chamber should pass a verdict on Friday or Monday. (hina) lml sb