ICTY RECEIVES APPEAL BY BLASKIC'S DEFENCE ATTORNEYS

ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has received an appeal sent by the attorneys of General Tihomir Blaskic, requesting his acquittal or a re-trial, ICTY's spokesman Jim Landale told Hina by telephone on Tuesday. Landale, however, could not elaborate on the issue since the case is confidential, nor could he say until when the tribunal would be discussing the documents or when a decision would be made. Blaskic's attorneys Anto Nobilo and Russel Haymen on Monday sent by fax the appeal consisting of 200 pages to The Hague. The appeal is founded on new documents found in the archives of the Croatian Intelligence Service, the Croatian President's Office and the Bosnian Army General Staff. The first ten pages of the appeal consist of introductory notes, followed by 60 pages of text in which the attorneys explain the faulty application of justice in the verdict of first instance with regard to the command and direct responsibility, as well as the international character of the conflicts in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The remainder of the appeal consists of facts and a reconstruction of events in Central Bosnia from late 1992 and the first half of 1993. This section supplements earlier evidence with new documents, Nobilo said. The appeal process, according to attorney Nobilo, should be completed by the end of this year. (hina) lml