ZAGREB COUNTY STATE ATT. PRESENTS CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN SAKIC TRIAL

ZAGREB, Sept 21 (Hina) - The main hearing in the trial of Croatian war crimes suspect Dinko Sakic resumed at the Zagreb County Court on Tuesday with the first part of the County State Attorney Office's closing arguments.#L# Sakic, former commander of Jasenovac, a Croatian World War Two concentration camp, is accused of war crimes against civilians. Zagreb County State Attorney Radovan Santek said in his 60-page closing arguments all counts of the December 14, 1998 indictment had been proven in the six-month period during which evidence had been put forward. "Sakic, as the camp's commander between May 1 and October 29, 1944, knew about the maltreatment and killing of inmates, which he, despite his undisputed authority, neither prevented nor punished, but sometimes even himself carried out, as in the case of Mile Boskovic and two Jews, Avram Montilj and Leon Perera," Santek said. The attorney said it had been impossible during trial to ascertain the exact number of the killed. Judging by the evidence, it could be concluded some 2,000 died at the time Sakic commanded Jasenovac, as the result of physical maltreatment, torture, starvation, sickness, hard physical labour, and the nightly executions of the infirm and unfit for work. The prosecution divided the evidence into four categories: the testimonies of surviving inmates who had direct knowledge of or witnessed the crimes, numerous documents, witnesses who are scientists or are experts on the camp's history, and the legal provisions and other regulations of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH, 1941-1945). Santek said the prosecution's evidence had enabled the panel of judges to obtain an "objective picture" of the Jasenovac camp and Sakic's role and acts in it. The repression carried out in Jasenovac was based on NDH's racial laws, namely ideological principles which the Croatian people condemned and rejected despite a desire to establish an independent state, Santek said. In the post-WW2 period, numerous facts relative to Jasenovac were distorted for ideological reasons, especially on the total number of the victims, Santek said, but pointed out that in the Sakic trial, the prosecution had not used such material, "suspect" for ideological reasons. Explaining the disparities in some former inmates' accounts whom, Santek said, he believed entirely, the county state attorney said it was an understandable occurrence considering the passing of time and the survivors' attempts to forget. Commenting on Sakic's defence, which denied the accusations, Santek said it could not be accepted. "It is untrue, unconvincing, and contrary to the evidence," the attorney said, adding that "mildly put", Sakic's claim that he was the victim of political persecution was inappropriate. The defendant's claims that the inmates and the Ustashi enjoyed identical living conditions at the camp were sarcastic and completely unreal, Santek said. "A defence so entirely uncritical on the defendant's part is indicative of his general view of responsibility for the events he is charged with," he asserted. The defendant was calm while listening to the closing arguments, showing the hint of a smile only when Santek's deputy mentioned that Sakic had shot dead an inmate who had stolen a corn cob, and that he had shot at inmates from camp headquarters in the so called "hunting game." The main hearing continues on Wednesday, when the Zagreb County State Attorney's Office will finish presenting its closing arguments. Attorney Cedo Prodanovic, who represents the Boskovic family, will follow. The last to present closing arguments will be Sakic's attorneys Branko Seric and Ivan Kern. (hina) ha jn