FRIDAY TESTIMONY CRUCIAL FOR 'GOSPIC CASE' - DEFENCE ATTORNEYS

RIJEKA, Feb 16 (Hina) - A retired Croatian army Brigadier General, Rudolf Brlecic, a war-time commander of the Lika Operative Zone, on Friday gave what defence attorneys in the 'Gospic group' case, which is being processed at the Rijeka County Court, believe to be the crucial testimony in the investigation. The 'Gospic group' includes Gospic residents who are accused of war crimes committed against civilians in the Gospic area in 1991. Attorney Milenko Skrlec from the defence team of the first indictee Tihomir Oreskovic and indictee Stjepan Grandic said that from the standpoint of the defence Brlecic's testimony was the most important testimony so far, particularly as the witness had been acquainted with all military and other events in the areas of Gospic and Perusic. The Homeland Defence War in Lika had two phases - in the first phase everybody protected their own backyards due to the atmosphere of immediate danger and there could be no mention of organised military action at the time. War crimes, to be qualified as such, must meet some criteria, including subordination and set military goals. The conduct of Croatian soldiers at the time was far from the conduct of an organised army because they acted exclusively in line with their personal estimates, doing heroic deeds as well as criminals acts, which fall under the Penal Code and cannot be prosecuted as war crimes, Skrlec said. Skrlec said witness Brlecic had confirmed that no military rules had been applied at the time, with the exception of subordination of former JNA officers. The defence will insist on these facts and suggest that the Amnesty Act be applied on the defendants in this case, the attorney concluded. (hina) rml