FIRST ROUND OF ZLATKO ALEKSOVSKI TRIAL ENDS

( Editorial: --> 3341 ) THE HAGUE, Jan 9 (Hina) - The first four-day round of the trial of Zlatko Aleksovski before the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague ended with the testimony of two Moslems, who in 1993, as prisoners of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), were taken away to dig trenches in the Lasva Valley. Aleksovski's defence counsel Goran Mikulicic assessed that following the end of this part of the trial, the "general impression for the defence was favourable" because the "prosecution in this round did not succeed in substantiating the charges". The trial of Aleksovski, who during the Moslem-Croat war in 1993 was the commander of the Koanik camp in central Bosnia, will continue from 23 to 27 February. (Hina) mm mb 091720 MET jan 98