ICTY TO HOLD HEARINGS ON CROATIA'S APPEAL AGAINST 'SUBPOENA DECISION'

DECISION' $ THE HAGUE, Sept 17 (Hina) - The international war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY), on Wednesday announced that the "Appeals Chamber will hold on Monday 22 September and Tuesday 23 September 1997 hearings on the "admissibility and the merits" of the appeal lodged by Croatia" against the "Subpoena Decision" rendered by Trial Chamber II. On 18 July this year, the Chamber handed over the decision under which the ICTY could issue a subpoena duces tecum or a compulsory order to States and reaffirmed a previous decision of a judge, Ms. Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, to issue such compulsory order to Croatian Defence Minister Gojko Susak to give documents requested by the Prosecutor's Office in connection with the case of Bosnian Croat General Tihomir Blaskic. Croatia lodged an appeal against the decision, and after that the ICTY Appeals Chamber, chaired by the Tribunal's president Antonio Casssesse accepted to consider Croatia's appeal and suspended the Trial Chamber's decision until the final ruling of the Appeals Chamber. Next week's hearing will be attended by Croatian representatives, ICTY Prosecutor's office workers, Blaskic's Defence and several experts in international law. (hina) mš 172240 MET sep 97