SUPREME COURT POSTPONES DECISION ON NALETILIC'S EXTRADITION

ZAGREB, Oct 13 (Hina) - The Croatian Supreme Court on Wednesday postponed a hearing on an appeal by Mladen Naletilic Tuta against the Zagreb County Court ruling on his extradition to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The hearing was postponed for October 15 due to a request by Naletilic's attorney Kresimir Krsnik that State Attorney Berislav Zivkovic and his deputy Slavko Zadnik be excluded from the proceedings due to suspicion regarding their objectivity. #L# Krsnik objected that the State Attorney's Office failed to appeal against the Zagreb County Court ruling granting the ICTY request regarding Naletilic's extradition. Krsnik recalled that the State Attorney's Office, that is, the Zagreb County State Attorney's Office, had appealed against such a decision in the case of Vinko Martinovic Stela, who was also indicted by the Hague Tribunal. Such an act by the State Attorney's Office, Krsnik believes, gives rise to suspicion as to the objectivity of the State Attorney and his deputy, because it violates the constitutional principle of equality before the law. Today's session of the five-member Supreme Court Council was attended by a large number of domestic and foreign reporters. In December 1998, the ICTY issued an indictment against Naletilic charging him with crimes against humanity committed in Bosnia- Herzegovina between April 1993 and January 1994 during his command of the so-called convicts' brigade. Naletilic is also charged with grave violations of the Geneva Conventions and the violation of the law or customs of war. On December 21, the Hague Tribunal sent the Croatian Government an arrest warrant and an extradition request for Naletilic. (hina) mm rml