ICTY MAKES EVIDENCE AVAILABLE TO DEFENCE ONLY UPON DEFENDANT'S SURRENDER - HARTMANN

THE HAGUE, Sept 11 (Hina) - Florence Hartmann, spokeswoman for the Hague war crimes tribunal's prosecution, said on Wednesday evidence supporting an indictment were made available to defendants and their attorneys together with the indictment only after the defendants' surrender to the tribunal. Asked whether the prosecution had forwarded to the Croatian government evidence supporting the indictment against Croatian general Ante Gotovina for crimes committed during and after Croatia's operation 'Storm', Hartmann said the Prosecutor's Office could not make evidence available to anyone but defence and the defendant, however, only upon the defendant's surrender. Croatian attorneys representing General Gotovina have requested that the Croatian government make available to them the documents the government sent to the Hague tribunal, but the government refused the request. The Croatian government has only been forwarded the indictment and the arrest warrant, Hartmann explained. The tribunal is still waiting for Croatia to fulfill its obligations and arrest fugitives, that is, to arrest Gotovina and transfer him to the tribunal, Hartmann told a news conference in The Hague. (hina) rml