THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Nov 27 (Hina) - The Hague-based U.N. war crimes tribunal's Appeals Chamber has called on the prosecution to submit evidence in the next month and a half in the case of Bosnian Croat Tihomir Blaskic whose defence
counsel is asking for the acquittal of the former C.O. of the Central Bosnia Operation Zone, the tribunal reported on Wednesday.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Nov 27 (Hina) - The Hague-based U.N. war crimes
tribunal's Appeals Chamber has called on the prosecution to submit
evidence in the next month and a half in the case of Bosnian Croat
Tihomir Blaskic whose defence counsel is asking for the acquittal
of the former C.O. of the Central Bosnia Operation Zone, the
tribunal reported on Wednesday. #L#
The Appeals Chamber has ordered the prosecution to submit evidence
to counter the defence's by January 6, 2003 at the latest, which
could help the Chamber in reaching a decision about whether a re-
trial should be ordered.
The defence, which has appealed the verdict against Blaskic, is
allowed to reply to the prosecution by Tuesday, January 21, 2003,
the decision, which the appeals chamber reached on November 22,
says.
A discussion was held before the Appeals Chamber last Thursday at
which Blaskic's defence attorneys and the prosecution voiced their
stances about whether the new evidence entered by the defence for
the appeals proceedings called for a retrial on all or some counts
of the indictment.
Before the session, the chamber said it had asserted that 49 pieces
of evidence were relevant, credible and could show that the verdict
passed against Blaskic had been unfounded.
The chamber also concluded that, since acquittal should not be
ruled without the entire case being discussed, it would be more
appropriate to examine the facts of the circumstances of this case
before a trial chamber.
Prosecutor Norman Farell said at the session that the defence's
evidence did not call for a retrial, and requested that the
prosecution be allowed to provide counter evidence.
Stating that mitigating evidence was not available at the time of
the trial, the defence said that the trial had thus been unfair and
should be held again.
The defence has thus asked for a retrial before a different trial
chamber.
On March 3, 2000, the trial chamber passed a guilty verdict against
Blaskic, and sentenced him to 45 years in prison for war crimes
committed in the Lasva Valley from mid-1992 through 1994, of which
the most grave was the killing of some hundred Moslems in the
village of Ahmici in Central Bosnia in April 1993.
(hina) lml sb