COURTSIDE: Ademi Case
Prosecutor told to clarify General Ademi's indictment
COURTSIDE: Ademi Case
Prosecutor told to clarify General Ademi's indictment
The trial chamber last week ordered the prosecution to amend its charges against Rahim Ademi, the Croatian general accused of crimes against Croatian Serb civilians in the Medak area near Gospic, south-west Croatia, in 1993.
The chamber said the indictment must clearly explain which acts are alleged to constitute the crime of persecution, and provide names and places of death for the alleged victims.
The general was accused of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war for the killing of several dozen Serbs in the Medak "Pocket" in September 1993, while his forces were withdrawing from the area.
An amended indictment will be filed within two weeks to a new trial chamber that will be assigned the case by the end of November.
During last week's status conference, the prosecutor confirmed the material so far disclosed to the defence. The latter has statements from 50 witnesses and will receive another 50. The material includes around 200 documents, photographs, videotapes and forensic material.
The prosecution expects to find additional documents related to the Medak operation from military archives in Croatia. The composition of the new trial chamber is unknown, as six permanent judges left the tribunal last week and have yet to be replaced. New judges with four-year mandates are expected to be sworn in next week.
Vjera Bogati is an IWPR special correspondent at The Hague and a journalist with SENSE News Agency.
