ZAGREB, June 20 (Hina) - The State Prosecution has accepted a proposal of the Split County Prosecutor's Office to ask the Croatian Supreme Court to transfer the Lora case trial from Split to some other county court, the Chief State
Prosecutor, Mladen Bajic, said on Thursday.
ZAGREB, June 20 (Hina) - The State Prosecution has accepted a
proposal of the Split County Prosecutor's Office to ask the
Croatian Supreme Court to transfer the Lora case trial from Split to
some other county court, the Chief State Prosecutor, Mladen Bajic,
said on Thursday. #L#
We have considered and accepted the reasons the Split County
Prosecution yesterday cited for the change of the city where the
trial should go on, Bajic said.
He believes that the atmosphere inside and around the Split court is
unfavourable due to the pressure which is being put not only on the
court but also on the county prosecution that is no longer able to
efficiently represent the indictment in such situation.
Therefore, the prosecutors will ask for the adjournment of the
trial at today's hearing.
The office of the Supreme Court President Ivica Crnic on Thursday
confirmed that it had received a request of the Split county
prosecution.
There is no deadline for Supreme Court to make a final decision, but
it is expected to decide soon as this is the case in which defendants
are still in custody, Bajic explained.
Seven of eight defendants, indicted of war crimes they allegedly
committed in the Lora military prison in 1992, are kept in custody,
whereas the eighth suspect is still at large. Those are former
military police officers charged with abuse and killing of some
prisoners in 1992.
The Split county prosecutors believe that the cases when witnesses
forgot everything while testifying before the trial chamber or non-
appearance of some witnesses from Yugoslavia were the consequence
of the threats and intimidation.
Bajic maintains that such a situation could be changed with the
transfer of the trial in some other city.
Commenting on the failure of witnesses to come from Yugoslavia,
Bajic said he was sure they would come if they received firm
assurances that they would not be harassed or insulted.
Bajic hopes that the justice and interior ministries will organise
the protection of witnesses who may arrive from Yugoslavia.
He declined to comment on the justice ministry's statement that the
conditions for unhampered trial in the Lora case have been
ensured.
(hina) ms