ZAGREB, Oct 20 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic said on Friday the letter of the Croatian Bar Association (HOK) protesting against the venue of the trial of Zagreb mobsters was inappropriate. The HOK this week
sent a letter to Minister Ivanisevic, saying to organise the trial in prison was inappropriate because it limited the lawfulness of the procedure and prejudged the indictees' guilt. Ivanisevic described the Bar's stand as 'abstract', 'inappropriate' and 'below the level' of a professional association. To organise the trial in the Zagreb County Prison gymnasium is "the least bad solution", which was accepted because there was a lack of conditions to organise the trial at the County Court building in downtown Zagreb, Ivanisevic said at a press conference. The decision of the Zagreb County Court president to try 18 members of the Zagreb Mafia at the investigative prison building and not at the
ZAGREB, Oct 20 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Stjepan
Ivanisevic said on Friday the letter of the Croatian Bar
Association (HOK) protesting against the venue of the trial of
Zagreb mobsters was inappropriate.
The HOK this week sent a letter to Minister Ivanisevic, saying to
organise the trial in prison was inappropriate because it limited
the lawfulness of the procedure and prejudged the indictees'
guilt.
Ivanisevic described the Bar's stand as 'abstract',
'inappropriate' and 'below the level' of a professional
association.
To organise the trial in the Zagreb County Prison gymnasium is "the
least bad solution", which was accepted because there was a lack of
conditions to organise the trial at the County Court building in
downtown Zagreb, Ivanisevic said at a press conference.
The decision of the Zagreb County Court president to try 18 members
of the Zagreb Mafia at the investigative prison building and not at
the County Court building, which cannot host such a large number of
indictees, has provoked a strong reaction by the defence team.
Protesting the decision, 13 attorneys for 11 indictees left, at the
very beginning of the trial on October 16, the prison gym, which was
redesigned as a courtroom.
Ivanisevic said that before sending their letter HOK officials had
failed to visit the redesigned gym, which, although within the
prison complex, was completely separated from the prisoner
section.
Commenting on HOK's stand that the trial in prison could lead the
public to conclude that the indictees have been convicted before
the actual judgement, Ivanisevic said if one thought in those terms
one should also abolish the institute of detention, "because it
might also be concluded that detainees have been robbed of freedom
before the judgement."
The minister refused a request by some attorneys that he act as an
arbiter between the court and the attorneys who walked out of the
courtroom, because it would mean 'interfering with the court's
work'.
Ivanisevic also announced that the drawing up of changes to the Law
on Criminal Proceedings, to include experience from this case as
well, would start in early November.
(hina) jn rml