The 49-year-old Babic held the highest posts in the rebel Serb government from 1991 to 1995, was president of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), parliament speaker, foreign minister, prime minister and president of the so-called Serb Autonomous District (SAO) of Krajina, which later became the so-called Republic of Serb Krajina (RSK).
The 60-year-old Martic was in charge of the so-called Krajina militia, special police forces, the state security service, the Territorial Defence, and other Serb forces.
Based on an agreement with the prosecution of 27 January 2004, Babic pleaded guilty to the persecution of Croat civilians in formerly occupied Croatian areas as crime against humanity, which was why he was sentenced to 13 years in prison on 29 June 2004. The Appeals Chamber confirmed his sentence last year.
Babic was a witness for the prosecution in the trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic in 2002 and the trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Momcilo Krajisnik in 2004.
Prosecutor Alex Whiting today introduced as evidence Babic's testimony in the trial of Slobodan Milosevic in line with the Rule 89f, which will shorten his questioning by the prosecution and leave more time for his cross-examination by defence counsel.
Whiting also introduced Babic's agreement with the prosecution in which he pleaded guilty, as well as his statement of 27 January 2004, when he expressed deep regret at innocent victims, apologised for Serb crimes and appealed to Croats for forgiveness.
Babic today again read out the statement, stressing that this had been and still was his position.
Asked by the prosecutor if he was presently serving his sentence, Babic answered in the affirmative, but would not reveal where he was serving it at the suggestion of the prosecution.
Martic is charged with 19 counts of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war committed against Croat civilians in the formerly occupied areas of Croatia from 1991 to 1995, crimes in western Bosnia in 1994, and the shelling of Zagreb in May 1995.