RIJEKA - EXEMPTION REQUESTS IN WAR CRIMES TRIAL TURNED DOWN

RIJEKA, Jan 25 (Hina) - The requests by the defence of the first indictee in the so-called Gospic Group war crimes trial, Tihomir Oreskovic, for the exemption of Rijeka County Court president Veljko Miskulin, panel of judges president Ika Saric, and Supreme Court president Ivica Crnic have been turned down. The Supreme Court on Friday ruled against the request for the exemption of Crnic. Crnic decided to turn down the requests for the exemption of Miskulin and Saric. Miskulin told reporters in Rijeka there had been no irregularities in the trial which would call for holding panel of judges president Saric or himself accountable. The three exemption requests were not sufficiently substantiated, he added. Miskulin maintains the repeated filing of exemption requests indicates that Oreskovic's defence may be abusing its authorities, which he says is detrimental to the other defendants who are entitled to a fair trial and as short detention as possible. A new exemption request would definitely point to a wish to stall the trial, he said. The trial against Oreskovic and the others in the Gospic Group, accused of war crimes against civilians committed in the Gospic area in late 1991, resumes on Monday. (hina) ha sb