ZAGREB, Aug 29 (Hina) - Milan Levar was not a protected witness of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office Paul Risley told Hina Tuesday.
ZAGREB, Aug 29 (Hina) - Milan Levar was not a protected witness of
the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY), spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office Paul Risley told Hina
Tuesday. #L#
Milan Levar, who voluntarily testified before the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia about alleged crimes
over Serb civilians in Gospic at the onset of the war in Croatia,
died in an explosion in the yard of his central Croatian home
Monday.
ICTY investigators spoke with Levar in 1997 and 1998, but since then
there has been no contact between him and the Tribunal, Risley said,
asserting Levar was not in ICTY's witness protection programme.
Protected witnesses are immediately transferred from the region of
the former Yugoslavia and into third countries for their personal
safety.
He was a potential witness, but the "Gospic case" is still being
probed. There has not been a trial concerning the case yet,
therefore, there were no witnesses, Risley said.
During this year's visit of ICTY investigators to the Gospic area
there was no contact between them and Levar. The bodies of victims
had been found pursuant to testimonies by several different people,
Risley said, adding Levar had contacted the ICTY on his own accord.
Commenting on Levar's death, the spokesman said it was a tragedy
that in the year 2000 there are still violent deaths connected with
the war in this region.
(hina) lml