ATTORNEY FOR CONVICTED COMMANDER OF USTASHI CAMP APPEALS

ZAGREB, Mar 6 (Hina) - Branko Seric, an attorney for Dinko Sakic, commander of the World War II concentration camp of Jasenovac, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime against civilian population, on Monday submitted an appeal to Sakic's verdict with the Zagreb County Court. The appeal will be dealt with by the Supreme Court. Estimating that regulations of the criminal procedure and the Penal Law had been violated during Sakic's trial, which lasted several months, and that facts had been established in a false and inadequate manner, Seric suggests that the Supreme Court quash the verdict and schedule a new trial or change the verdict. In the appeal Seric reminds of contradictions in witnesses' statements and the lack of authenticity of documents used as evidence against his client. Sakic, who was handed over by Argentina to Croatia in June 1998, was found guilty in October last year of the war crime against civilian population. He was found guilty of having ordered and conducted the maltreatment, torture and killing of prisoners, and of having failed to prevent and punish crimes committed by Ustashi officers. (hina) mm rml