BILJANA PLAVSIC PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGES OF CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY

THE HAGUE, Oct 2 (Hina) - Biljana Plavsic, former President of Republika Srpska, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to charges of persecution as a crime against humanity and the prosecution of the Hague-based war crimes tribunal stated that in turn it would drop other charges from the indictment, including genocide charges. #L# "I plead guilty," Plavsic stated via video link. The Hague tribunal did not want to disclose Plavsic's whereabouts at the time of her entering the plea. With her hands in her lap, Plavsic entered her plea sitting in front of the camera at an unknown location, a UN flag visible nearby. This is the first time an indictee of the tribunal has pleaded guilty outside the tribunal building. The prosecution was represented by Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte and the chief prosecutor in the case, Mark Harmon. Plavsic and the former speaker of the Bosnian Serb parliament, Momcilo Krajisnik, were indicted for genocide in Bosnia- Herzegovina. The trial chamber decided at today's session to prolong Plavsic's temporary release pending verdict. The chamber scheduled a discussion on the duration of the sentence for December 16 this year. After the chamber session, attorney Eugene O'Sullivan read to reporters Plavsic's statement in which she expressed her "deep and unconditional regret" which she hoped would offer some consolation to the innocent victims of all nationalities. She called on all, particularly leaders, "to re-examine themselves and their conduct". O'Sullivan said that the agreement on the guilty plea did not include any agreement on the sentence and that Plavsic was aware that she could be sentenced to life imprisonment. He also stressed that Plavsic had not agreed to testify in any proceedings that were conducted before the tribunal. The spokeswoman for the tribunal's prosecution said Plavsic was the first Serb leader to express regret. (hina) rml sb