BOSNIAN SERB GORAN JELISIC PLEADS NOT GUILTY BEFORE ICTY

( Editorial: --> 7333 ) THE HAGUE, 26 Jan (Hina) - Bosnian Serb Goran Jelisic, arrested last Thursday by the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Brcko, northern Bosnia-Herzegovina, on Monday pleaded not guilty to all 77 counts of his indictment before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Jelisic, who called himself the 'Serb Adolf', was indicted by the ICTY for genocide, severe violations of the Geneva Conventions and violation of the law and customs of war. All crimes Jelisic is charged with were committed in the area of Brcko during 1992. During 1992, the indicted was head of the infamous prison camp Luka in Brcko. During the same year, hundreds of Muslims and Croats were killed in the camp. The indictment names 16 persons Jelisic killed personally. The 29-year-old Jelisic, a mechanic, moved at the beginning of war from his home town of Bijeljina to Brcko, as he said, 'in order to kill Muslims'. During the reading of the indictment, which also describes some scenes of torture and killing of civilians, Jelisic smiled several times. He also wanted to ask a question but the president of the Trial Chamber, Claude Jorda, did not allow it before the reading of the indictment ended. The Trial Chamber will later set the date for the beginning of the trial. (hina) mm rm 261836 MET jan 98