Rajic Sentencing Talks Postponed

TU No 445, 24-Mar-06

Rajic Sentencing Talks Postponed

TU No 445, 24-Mar-06

Friday, 24 March, 2006
IWPR

IWPR

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

Rajic pleaded guilty in October 2005 to four counts of breaches of the Geneva conventions while he was a commander in the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, in the Kiseljak and Vares areas of Bosnia in 1993.



As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, he agreed to testify in other war crimes cases in return for a recommendation that he be sentenced to no more than 15 years' jail time.



Judges are not obliged to act in line with such agreements, however, and had scheduled this week's hearing – set to take place on March 23 – in order to hear submissions on the matter from defence counsel and prosecutors.



In the event, the first half an hour of the hearing took place in private session. After that, Presiding Judge Christine Van Den Wyngaert said the discussions would be postponed because of a submission filed by one of the parties.



A new date for the sentencing hearing is yet to be announced.
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