ICTY SENDS SUMMONS TO SIX KEY WITNESSES IN BLASKIC TRIAL

THE HAGUE, April 7 (Hina) - A Croatian Defence Council (HVO) member, General Tihomir Blaskic, on Wednesday continued the testimony in his own defence before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The tribunal is holding a session behind closed doors, at which it is discussing court summons sent to six people, who were commanders of international forces, HVO and the Bosnian Army during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The summons have been sent to a former UNPROFOR commander, General Philippe Morillon; British Lieutenant Robert Stewart; HVO commander-in-chief Milivoj Petkovic; Bosnian Army commanders General Enver Hadzihasanovic, who commanded the BH Army Third Corps and Lieutenant Serif Patkovic, who commanded the 7th Muslim Brigade; and a head of the European Community Mission, Jean-Pierre Thebault. The witnesses will have to appear before the ICTY before the prosecution and defence present their closing arguments, by the end of June this year. "We believe that the arrival of these witnesses would be of considerable assistance, especially in reaffirming the credibility of Gen. Blaskic's testimony; since they are witnesses for the prosecution, and have been announced although not summonsed, we believe that there was a reason why they did not appear", Blaskic's attorney Anto Nobilo told Hina. When asked last month by reporters why Hadzihasanovic never appeared as a witness for the prosecution, although he had been announced, ICTY Chief Prosecutor Louise Arbour denied a comment adding she could not comment on the witnesses' appearing or failing to appear before the court. Since the beginning of his testimony in February this year, Blaskic has been describing his meetings and communication with international representatives and negotiations with Muslim commanders. Blaskic described in detail his talks with Lieutenant Bob Stewart whose units discovered the slaughter of some hundred Muslim civilians in Ahmici, which had occurred on April 16, 1993. Blaskic said among other things that he had requested help from both Stewart and the Muslim side, as well as that a joint commission participate in the investigation of the Ahmici crime. Those requests remained without any response, Blaskic said. The Ahmici crime is one of the gravest crimes Blaskic is charged with, according to the principle of commanding responsibility. At the end of February this year, Blaskic testified about his attempts in 1993 to make Hadzihasanovic disband the 7th Muslim Brigade and remove other Mujahedeen units responsible for crimes committed against Croats in central Bosnia. Hadzihasanovic told Blaskic then that he had no control over those units, although he was formally the commander of Muslim forces in central Bosnia. Some of the key elements of Blaskic's defence are based on similar arguments. Blaskic testified that he did not have the power to command over either the HVO military police, whom he accused of the Ahimici crime, or over the units for special purposes, which were under direct control of Mostar and whom he charged as being the perpetrators of some crimes he is held accountable for according to the indictment. A witness for the defence has accused Lieutenant Serif Patkovic of killing her husband and neighbours. (hina) jn rml