SUPREME COURT WILL ADOPT WRITTEN DECISION ON NALETILIC'S APPEAL

ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - The Croatian Supreme Court Council on Friday decided that it would adopt a decision in writing on an appeal Mladen Naletilic Tuta submitted against the Zagreb County Court ruling approving his extradition to the Hague Tribunal. The written decision will be forwarded to the Zagreb County Court, the Supreme Court Council decided after Naletilic's attorney Kresimir Krsnik presented the closing argument. Krsnik requested the Council to interrupt the proceedings and return the indictment to the Hague Tribunal for elaboration. #L# Krsnik explained his request by saying that the Hague indictment against his client had been compiled on the basis of objective and not individual responsibility, i.e., that it is too general. "If the indictment is accepted, that will have disastrous consequences for the Croatian state", said Krsnik, adding the indictment was contrary to the Croatian Constitution and a whole set of international conventions ratified by Croatia. Today's session of the Supreme Court Council was a continuation of the October 13 session, which was interrupted and postponed at the request of attorney Krsnik, who asked that the State Attorney and his deputy be excluded from the proceedings due to suspicion regarding their objectivity. Krsnik's request was rejected by the State Attorney and a board of his deputies and their decision was read out at the beginning of today's session by the president of the five-member Council, Ana Garacic. 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