60 WITNESSES TO BE EXAMINED IN ONE MONTH AT TRIAL OF FOUR SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (December 19,2007) – At the trial of Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko Knezevic, the Trial Chamber of the Bosnian State Court has agreed to let the defence teams to examine 60 of 121 earlier announced witnesses during the evidence presentation process.

The Chamber considered that statements of some witnesses "are not relevant" and that "it is not necessary to examine all of them".

The Trial Chamber of the Bosnian State Court has asked the Defence teams to suggest additional attorneys for Serbian war criminals Momcilo Gruban and Dusan Fustar "as soon as possible".

"It is necessary to appoint additional attorneys for Gruban and Fustar as soon as possible, because the custody order for attorney Vinko Kondic has been confirmed, while attorney Jovo Djukanovic has been appointed as judge with the Municipal Court in Prijedor," said Trial Chamber chairman Saban Maksumic.

Kondic was arrested on a warrant issued by the Bosnian State Prosecutor on December 7, and is currently being held in custody on suspicion of having committed war crimes in the Bosnian town of Kljuc during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko Knezevic with the murder, rape ans torture of Bosnian and Croatian civilians detaind by the genocidal Serbian aggressor in the Omarska and Keraterm concentration camps in 1992.

Mejakic's defence team has proposed a list of 44 witnesses, including former guards and investigators in the Omarska concentration camp, but the Trial Chamber of the Bosnian State Court has approved the examination of only 27, including the indictee.

Of 19 witnesses proposed by Serbian war criminal Momcilo Gruban's team, the Trial Chamber has admitted ten. Twenty witnesses, including two court experts, will testify in Serbian war criminal Dusan Fustar's defence. Originally his team proposed a list of 55 witnesses.

The Bosnian State Court approved examination of three planned witnesses by the Defence team of Serbian war criminal Dusko Knezevic. The Defence teams have been given fewer than 30 day to present their evidence.

As requested by the Bosnian State Prosecutor David Schwendiman, Trial Chamber chairman Saban Maksumic ordered the Defence teams to provide the statements of the first witnesses, who will be examined in January, "as early as possible".