KARLOVAC, July 19 (Hina) - Fikret Abdic, a businessman and former leader of Bosnian Muslims who rebelled against the Bosnian Muslim leadership, appeared for the first time before the Karlovac County Court on Thursday to hear his
indictment for war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war, committed in the war-time Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia. The defendant said he did not understand the indictment and entered a plea of not guilty, claiming his trial was a political process. Abdic's court-appointed attorney Davorin Popovic proposed as defence evidence 43 files of different materials. Popovic believes the chief piece of evidence in favour of his client is the acquittal of Ibrahim Djedovic, assistant interior minister in Abdic's government and member of his army's Supreme Command, by the Sarajevo Canton Court. The acquittal of Djedovic, who faced the same charges as Abdic, was confirmed by the Supreme
KARLOVAC, July 19 (Hina) - Fikret Abdic, a businessman and former
leader of Bosnian Muslims who rebelled against the Bosnian Muslim
leadership, appeared for the first time before the Karlovac County
Court on Thursday to hear his indictment for war crimes against
civilians and prisoners of war, committed in the war-time
Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia.
The defendant said he did not understand the indictment and entered
a plea of not guilty, claiming his trial was a political process.
Abdic's court-appointed attorney Davorin Popovic proposed as
defence evidence 43 files of different materials. Popovic believes
the chief piece of evidence in favour of his client is the acquittal
of Ibrahim Djedovic, assistant interior minister in Abdic's
government and member of his army's Supreme Command, by the
Sarajevo Canton Court. The acquittal of Djedovic, who faced the
same charges as Abdic, was confirmed by the Supreme Court of the
Croat-Muslim Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Due to the size of the evidence and the fact that most witnesses who
are to testify in the trial live in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the next
hearing was scheduled for October 23 this year.
Popovic asked that Abdic be released on bail but presiding judge
Jasminka Musnjak Jerenic said this was not possible due to the
gravity of the charges.
Abdic's supporters attended the hearing and several hundred of
them, mostly from Velika Kladusa, gathered outside the court
building.
They expressed their support for Abdic by applauding approvingly.
Abdic was admonished by judge Musnjak Jerenic several times for
trying to present his defence which he is not allowed to do at this
stage of the process.
(hina) rml