KARLOVAC: QUESTIONING OF WITNESSES IN ABDIC CASE ENDS

KARLOVAC, April 9 (Hina) - The questioning of witnesses in the trial of Fikret Abdic, indicted for war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war in 1993, 1994, and 1995, ended in the Karlovac County Court on Tuesday and the proceedings moved on to a reading of the evidence presented. #L# Based on files submitted by the County Prosecutor's Office, several documents containing accusations that had not been presented until now were read today. The reading will continue over the next two days which will be followed by a reading of documents collected by the defence consisting of 43 files. The documents read today related to the charge against Abdic reading that he was responsible for setting up seven prison camps or collection centres near the western Bosnian town of Bihac where later at least five thousand civilians were detained and where inhumane treatment was enforced including bodily and psychological abuse. Furthermore, the documents related to war crimes against prisoners of war, particularly physical abuse which resulted in the death of two prisoners. Several reports prepared by the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNPROFOR were read citing the inhumane conditions in these camps, the poor nutritional conditions and abuse even to the point of rejecting humanitarian aid. (hina) it sb