Hadzic Refuses to Enter Plea
If the accused does so again at a second appearance within the next 30 days, the court will enter a plea of not guilty.
Hadzic Refuses to Enter Plea
If the accused does so again at a second appearance within the next 30 days, the court will enter a plea of not guilty.
In his first appearance before the Hague tribunal this week, the former leader of rebel Serbs in Croatia, Goran Hadzic, refused to enter a plea on 14 counts of a newly amended indictment for crimes against non-Serb civilians in Croatia.
Hadzic was arrested in Serbia on July 20 after seven years on the run, and was the last remaining Hague fugitive.
During the Croatian war, Hadzic was president of the government of the self-declared Serbian Autonomous District of Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem, known as the SAO SBWS, and was president of the so-called Republic of the Serbian Krajina, RSK - which absorbed SAO SBWS territory - from February 1992 to December 1993.
As the trial opened, Judge O-Gon Kwon asked the accused's temporary defence counsel Vladimir Petrovic if his client wished to enter a plea immediately or later.
Petrovic responded, "Mr Hadžić won't enter a plea today and he will use the right provided by rule 62 of the regulations of procedure and evidence at the Hague tribunal."
Since the accused did not enter a plea, another appearance will be held within 30 days.
The defendant appeared to be calm. He confirmed that he had understood the allegations in the newly modified indictment, announced three days ago, which comprises of 14 counts, three more than the original indictment.
He is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed against the Croat and non-Serb population, including persecutions, extermination, murder, imprisonment, torture, inhumane acts, cruel treatment, deportation, wanton destruction and plunder.
He is also alleged to have been part of a Joint Criminal Enterprise, JCE, with various other political and military officials, the purpose of which was the "permanent forcible removal of a majority of the Croat and other non-Serb population from approximately one-third of the territory of the Republic of Croatia" in order to create a Serb-dominated state“ .
In the amended indictment, Hadžić is not only charged with individual but also command responsibility. He is alleged to be responsible for designing and ordering crimes, encouraging subordinates to commit crimes, failing to prevent crimes and failure to punish perpetrators.
The prosecution has also extended the period in which the alleged JCE was operating by a further two years so that it now covers the period from April 1991 until the end of 1995.
If Hadzic fails to enter a plea within the next month, the court will record that he entered a plea of not guilty, according to tribunal rules.
Velma Saric is an IWPR-trained reporter in Sarajevo.
