THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Oct 27 (Hina) - The trial of Sefer Halilovic, a retired Bosnian army general and former Bosnian government minister, who is charged with the killing of more than 60 Bosnian Croat civilians in the villages of
Grabovica and Uzdol in September 1993, will start at the UN war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on 19 January 2004, the Hague-based tribunal stated.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Oct 27 (Hina) - The trial of Sefer Halilovic, a
retired Bosnian army general and former Bosnian government
minister, who is charged with the killing of more than 60 Bosnian
Croat civilians in the villages of Grabovica and Uzdol in September
1993, will start at the UN war crimes tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia on 19 January 2004, the Hague-based tribunal stated.
#L#
On 10 September 2001, the tribunal issued an indictment against the
51-year-old general, charging him in one of the counts with the
killing of Croat civilians in Grabovica and Uzdol as a breach of the
laws and customs of war.
In September 1993, acting as a deputy to Bosnian army chief-of-
staff Rasim Delic, Halilovic commanded Operation "Neretva - 93",
the purpose of which was the taking of Bosnian Croat-held territory
from Bugojno to Mostar, so that the blockade of Mostar could be
lifted.
Thirty-two civilians, including 18 women and a four-year girl, were
killed in the operation.
Halilovic surrendered to the UN tribunal on 25 September 2001,
after which he was released pending trial.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
(hina) rml sb