ATTORNEY NOBILO ON POSSIBLE RETRIAL OF GEN. BLASKIC

THE HAGUE, Nov 4 (Hina) - Anto Nobilo, a defence attorney for a former commander of the Central Bosnia Operative Zone, General Tihomir Blaskic, has described the decision of the UN war crimes tribunal's Appeals Chamber on new defence evidence as a "dramatic change". #L# "This is an expected but dramatic change," said Nobilo when asked about the possibility of a retrial opened by the Appeals Chamber, following the defence's requests for the introduction of new evidence over the past two years. Asked about a possible outcome of the retrial, Nobilo said that "one should wait for the final decision of the Appeals Chamber". Nobilo believes that the evidence submitted by the defence in the appeals proceedings proves that the defence's main premises were correct. The evidence, which could lead to a turnaround in the trial, was obtained from three sources. Nobilo said the evidence included documents from the Croat Defence Council's (HVO) archives, which lay in the basement of the Croatian intelligence service (HIS) and were made available by the new government, documents relating to the Lasva Valley from the President's Office, made available by President Stjepan Mesic, and evidence made available by the Hague war crimes tribunal's prosecution upon its discovery in the Bosnian army archives. Nobilo said the decision of the Appeals Chamber was dramatic because it constituted "an accusation against some individuals from the former authorities confirming the defence's claim that they concealed documents of a liberating character". Under the tribunal's rules on evidence and procedure, the Appeals Chamber could pass a guilty or not guilty verdict or rule a retrial. The rules also enable the prosecution to withdraw or amend the indictment with previous consent from the tribunal. (hina) rml sb