SPLIT, July 16 (Hina) - Three witnesses testified before the Split County Court in the continuation of the trial of eight military policemen accused of war crimes in the Lora military prison on Tuesday.
SPLIT, July 16 (Hina) - Three witnesses testified before the Split
County Court in the continuation of the trial of eight military
policemen accused of war crimes in the Lora military prison on
Tuesday. #L#
Witness Mirko Coric was the assistant commander for operations in
the 72 battalion of the military police until September 1992.
He claimed that he never went to the Lora military prison nor had he
heard of any physical abuse, which due to his function, he would
have been aware of.
Asked by the prosecution, if at the time, he sent reports on the
state of the forces, the witness responded in the negative. At the
request of the prosecution, the president of the judicial council
presented the witness with such a report. The witness claimed that
this had nothing to do with the trial and if his signature stood on
the last page of the report, then it could have been forged. Asked by
the prosecutor why would anyone forge his signature on an official
report, Coric said, because it was in someone's interest to charge
the Croatian army. He asked, where were non-governmental
organisations when Croats were being expelled from their homes.
Another two witness, Damir Simic and Miroslav Karin - also former
military policemen - stated that they had never, including the time
the crimes were allegedly committed, been to Lora, nor had they
heard that prisoners were abused.
The trial will resume on Wednesday with new witnesses on the stand.
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