MAIN HEARING IN VUKOVAR SERB WAR CRIMES TRIAL ENDS

VUKOVAR, May 16 (Hina) - The main hearing in a trial against 19 Croatian Serbs, accused of genocide and war crimes against civilians during and immediately after the occupation of Vukovar in 1991, ended at the eastern Croatian town's County Court on Tuesday with closing arguments of the defence. Of the 19 defendants, only Stevan Curnic, detained in Osijek, is available to the court. The verdict will be reached on Friday. It is generally known that crimes were committed in Vukovar, but the trial failed to prove that the crimes had been committed by the defendants, attorney Marko Drnasin said in his closing arguments on behalf of Curnic and several others. "There are indications and assumptions that crimes were committed, but a verdict of guilty cannot be brought on that basis," Drnasin said. "There is no evidence that Stevan Curnic killed Ekrem Nakicevic and Zoran Bajic, of which he is accused," he added. The defence attorney believes "Curnic can only be charged with firing a brief machine pistol burst into the legs of Stipan Lucic, causing serious physical wounds." Asked if he stuck by his statement made at the beginning of trial and if he accepted his attorney's closing arguments, Curnic said he stuck "by the statement that he has committed not one crime," and that he accepted "the closing argument of his attorney." The other defendants' attorneys also demanded verdicts of not guilty for their clients. Judge Miroslav Sovanj concluded the main hearing and announced the verdict for Friday, May 19. (hina) ha mm