THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Dec 8 (Hina) - The appeals hearing on 73 new pieces of evidence submitted by the defence of Bosnian general Tihomir Blaskic began before the Hague war crimes tribunal's Appeals Chamber at a closed session on Monday
with the interrogation of the first defence witness.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Dec 8 (Hina) - The appeals hearing on 73 new
pieces of evidence submitted by the defence of Bosnian general
Tihomir Blaskic began before the Hague war crimes tribunal's
Appeals Chamber at a closed session on Monday with the
interrogation of the first defence witness. #L#
The defence will bring six, mainly protected witnesses during the
two-week proceedings, after which the defence and the prosecution
will make closing statements. The defendant, a former commander in
the central Bosnian Operative Zone, will address the five-member
Appeals Chamber at the end of the proceedings.
The Appeals Chamber is then due to decide whether and to what extent
to change the 3 March 2000 ruling which sentenced Blaskic to 45
years' imprisonment for war crimes committed in Lasva Valley from
mid-1992 to 1994, the gravest of which was the April 1993 slaughter
of Muslims in the village of Ahmici.
Blaskic has been in detention since 1 April 1996.
Presiding judge Fausto Pocar said at the beginning of today's
proceedings the Appeals Chamber felt a retrial would not be
justified.
Blaskic's counsel Anto Nobilo said prior to the proceedings the
witnesses would include members of international troops and
warring parties during the Bosnian conflict.
(hina) ha sb