TRIAL OF 'GOSPIC GROUP' DISCONTINUED DUE TO EXEMPTION REQUEST

RIJEKA, July 3 (Hina) - The trial of retired general Mirko Norac and four other Gospic residents, who were accused of committing war crimes against civilians in late 1991, has been discontinued on Tuesday following a request by defence attorneys for the first indictee Tihomir Oreskovic that Chief State Prosecutor Radovan Ortynski, State Prosecutor for Rijeka County Drago Marincel and his deputy Doris Hrast be exempt from the proceedings. Judge Ika Saric, who conducts the trial of 'the Gospic group', has put the trial on hold because of the exemption request until a decision on it is made by a board of deputies of the Chief State Prosecutor, and a new hearing will be called subsequently by letter. Judge Saric today announced the decision of the panel of judges conducting the trial overruling a request by the attorneys representing the injured parties that the court exempt the indictees' attorneys Zeljko Olujic, Bosiljko Misetic and Ivan Kern, who, as stated in the request, were holding high judicial offices at the time the events which are subject to trial took place. The exemption request is not justified because the defence attorneys in question did not previously participate in any way in this case, and the fact that they have been suggested as witnesses does not mean that they will be called by the court to testify. Retired General Mirko Norac, Tihomir Oreskovic, Colonel Milan Canic, Stjepan Grandic and Ivica Rozic are charged with the execution of Serb and Croat civilians in Pazariste and Lipova Glavica, and the abduction of three persons from Karlobag who were later executed. (hina) sb rml