JUDGES REJECT REQUEST FOR TEMPORARY RELEASE OF ALEKSOVSKI

( Editorial: --> 8115 ) ZAGREB, 29 Jan (Hina)- Judicial council in the case of Aleksovski rejected the defense's request for temporary relase from custody of Zlatko Aleksovski, reported on Wednesday the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). At the opening of the trial on 6 January, the defense reqested Aleksovski's temporary release from custody, citing, inter alia, that he had been already in custody for 577 days and that he behaved well. They also said that Aleksovski was ailing and that his family lived on very meagre resources. On 23 January, Judges Rodrigues, Vohrah and Nieto Navia overruled the defense's request, explaining that "it is quote normal for an indictee to stay in custody between the indictment and the completion of the trial and that the length of custody fitted the gravity of charges aggains Aleksovski". During the fighting between Mislims and Croats in BH Aleksovski was in charge of a detention camp in Kaonik,central Bosnia. (HIna) mm mr (Hina) mm mr 291955 MET jan 98