ZAGREB, April 29 (Hina) - A Bosnian Croat general, indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), said before a three-member panel of judges at the Zagreb County Court on Tuesday the attack of Bosnian
Croat forces on the village of Stupni Do had not been planned, and added that the village was "a fortress rather than a civilian settlement".
ZAGREB, April 29 (Hina) - A Bosnian Croat general, indicted by the
International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), said
before a three-member panel of judges at the Zagreb County Court on
Tuesday the attack of Bosnian Croat forces on the village of Stupni
Do had not been planned, and added that the village was "a fortress
rather than a civilian settlement". #L#
Addressing the panel of judges, which is to decide about a request
by The Hague-based tribunal for his transfer, Ivica Rajic presented
his version of what happened in Stupni Do in October 1993, when,
according to the ICTY indictment, at least 16 Muslim civilians were
killed.
Rajic's attorney Zeljko Olujic said the ICTY's request had no legal
basis and was contrary to Croatia's constitution and its
constitutional law on cooperation with the ICTY. He reiterated that
Rajic should be tried in Croatia.
Deputy Zagreb County prosecutor Ivan Plevko said that all legal
conditions for Rajic's transfer to The Hague had been met.
The judges' decision on the extradition request will be issued in
the written form.
Ivica Rajic, a commander of the Croat Defence Council (HVO), has
been indicted by the ICTY for war crimes committed in Stupni Do.
(hina) rml