Speaking to reporters after the court session, defence attorney Zvonimir Hodak said that all the witnesses called had been heard and that there were no legal grounds to keep the accused in custody any longer.
Hodak said that the injured party was supposed to make a statement in the Gospic court, but "she does not want to and, according to the information available to us, she will make a statement in the United States."
Hodak added that that would be contrary to Croatian criminal law and that her statement would not be relevant for the decision of the court.
Prosecutors insist that the injured party be directly heard in court, and will lodge an appeal against today's decision to release the accused, Rijeka County Deputy Prosecutor Darko Karlovic said.
The team of lawyers representing the US basketball player believes that the investigation into the case was conducted below the level of professionalism and will therefore seek damages.
Mraovic was arrested on April 14 on suspicion that he had raped the 28-year-old US national in his hotel in Gospic the day before. He was released after having been heard by an investigating magistrate, and the Gospic County Prosecutor did not request his detention.
After the case was taken over by the Office of the County Prosecutor in Rijeka, Mraovic was arrested again and remanded in custody on April 22 and an investigation was launched.