Beginning of Mate Martics Trial Postponed
Defence attorney Nikica Bodul said that indictee Martic was admitted to a hospital in Croatia, so he was not able to attend the beginning of his trial.
The Trial Chamber postponed the beginning of the trial until February 27 this year.
Martic, former member of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, is charged with crimes against prisoners of war and civilians in Zepce in 1993.
The Zenica Cantonal Prosecution charges Martic with having taken a group of captured members of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina from a school building in Perkovici to HVO military positions in July 1993. He then abused them, hit them on different parts of their bodies with a rifle butt and shot at two of them, causing severe bodily injuries to those men.
Besides that, Martic is charged with having hit a captured Bosniak civilian, causing him severe bodily injuries, in Lijesnica in that same month.
Martic, who is defending himself while at liberty, pleaded not guilty in late November last year.
