THERE ARE NO HURDLES FOR ICTY TO CONDUCT TRIALS IN CROATIA-MINISTER IVANISEVIC

ZAGREB, March 9 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic on Thursday said he was expecting that the International Tribunal would tomorrow answer to the Croatian Government's proposal that processes of Croatian citizens, suspected of having committed war crimes, be conducted in Croatia in the future. Ivanisevic asserted that there were no legal obstacles for the Hague-based International War Crimes Tribunal For former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and prosecutors to come in Croatia and lead here trials against Croatian war crimes suspects. "This is not in opposition to Croatia's sovereignty and independence of the Croatian judiciary," the minister said after he held an opening speech at a three-day seminar on the Croatian judiciary. Reporter asked him whether it was possible for Vinko Martinovic Stela, who was transferred to The Hague last year, to be tried in Croatia. Martinovic is covered by the same indictment as Mladen Naletilic Tuta, who is currently in a prison hospital in Zagreb. Reporters wanted to know in case the trial of Naletilic be conducted in Zagreb whether the same would apply for Martinovic. "In that case the matter is more complex, as Martinovic is already in The Hague," Ivanisevic answered. The ICTY issued a joint indictment for Vinko Martinovic Stela and Naletilic, charging them with crimes they allegedly committed in the Mostar area during the Croat-Moslem conflict in Bosnia. (hina) jn ms