NALETILIC DEFENCE SURPRISED BY SPEED OF COUNTY COURT DECISION

ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - The attorney of Mladen Naletilic Tuta, whose extradition to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was approved by the Zagreb County Court, on Thursday expressed surprise about the speed of the decision for his clients extradition to the ICTY. Naletilic's defence attorney Kresimir Krsnik said he would lodge a appeal which would be forwarded to the Supreme Court. According to him, the defence submitted a great number of arguments against the request made by the ICTY to extradite his client to The Hague Tribunal. Krasnik said there was not enough time for the Panel of Judges to examine the arguments and reach righteous decision. During yesterday's court deliberation about the ICTY request, Krsnik opposed the extradition of his client, particularly because criminal proceedings against Naletilic before the Zagreb County Court had not yet been completed. Krasnik proposed to the panel of judges to send the indictment leveled against his client back to The Hague. Naletilic's attorney believes that the ICTY exceeded its jurisdiction and based the indictment on objective and not individual responsibility. Deputy County State Attorney Marija Jambor was not available to give a statement today. During Wednesday's court deliberation she stressed that all legal conditions of the constitutional law on the cooperation between Croatia and the ICTY regarding Naletilic's extradition have been fulfilled. The State Attorney's Office is not contesting the extradition. (hina) it jn