NETHERLANDS: BOSNIAN CROAT EX-PRISON CAMP OFFICER ZDRAVKO MUCIC PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO WAR CRIMES CHARGES

Record ID: 230432

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: BOSNIAN CROAT EX-PRISON CAMP OFFICER ZDRAVKO MUCIC PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO WAR CRIMES CHARGES
  • Date: 11th April 1996
  • Summary: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS (APRIL 11, 1996/RECENT) (RTV ACCESS ALL) (RECENT) 1. GV EXTERIOR OF TRIBUNAL BUILDING 0.04 (APRIL 11, 1996) 2. MV JUDGE GABRIELLE MCDONALD OF THE UNITED STATES ASKING DEFENDANT BOSNIAN CROAT ZDRAVKO MUCIC HOW HE PLEADS TO A LIST OF CHARGES (ENGLISH) 0.10 3. SLV MUCIC STANDING IN COURT AND PLEADING "NOT GUILTY" TO EACH CHARGE (SERBO-CROAT) 1.40 4. MV MUCIC SITS DOWN 1.43 5. SLV JUDGE MCDONALD ASKS PROSECUTION LAWYER ERIC OSTBERG OF SWEDEN IF SHE HAS READ OUT ALL OF THE COUNTS ON WHICH MUCIC WANTS TO ENTER A PLEA (ENGLISH) 1.50 6. SLV OSTBERG SAYS YES YOUR HONOUR (ENGLISH) 1.52 7. SLV JUDGE MCDONALD ASKS IF THERE ARE ANY PRELIMINARY MATTERS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BY COUNSEL AT THIS TIME, MR OSTBERG? (ENGLISH) 2.01 8. SLV OSTBERG SAYS NOTHING SPECIAL FOR THE MOMENT (ENGLISH) 2.04 9. SLV JUDGE MCDONALD ASKS BRITISH LAWYER FOR MUCIC, ROBERT RHODES, THE SAME QUESTION (ENGLISH), RHODES SAYS NOT AT THE MOMENT YOUR HONOUR (ENGLISH) 2.07 TRANSCRIPT BETWEEN JUDGE MCDONALD AND MUCIC, SEQ. 2-4. MACDONALD, "ARE YOU READY TO ENTER A PLEA WITH RESPECT TO THESE COUNTS OF THE INDICTMENT?" MUCIC ANSWERS YES IN SERB-CROAT. MACDONALD "HOW DO YOU PLEAD GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY AS TO COUNTS 13 OF THE INDICTMENT?" MUCIC ANSWERS NOT GUILTY (SERB-CROAT) MACDONALD "AS TO COUNT 14 OF THE INDICTMENT, HOW DO YOU PLEAD GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY." "AS TO COUNT 33 OF THE INDICTMENT HOW DO YOU PLEAD, GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY?" "AS TO COUNT 34 OF THE INDICTMENT, HOW DO YOU PLEAD, GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY?" "AS TO COUNT 35 OF THE INDICTMENT HOW DO YOU PLEAD, GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY, HOW DO YOU PLEAD?" "AS TO COUNT 38 (ETC.)" CARRIES ON UPTO COUNT 49. TO ALL CHARGES MUCIC PLEADS NOT GUILTY. Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 26th April 1996 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS
  • City:
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Reuters ID: LVAQYO9RJK7F6M2GOV2V283ZNZH
  • Story Text: - INTRO: A Bosnian Croat ex-prison camp chief has pleaded not guilty to war crimes charges including murder, rape and torture.

    ----------------------------------------------------------- A Bosnian Croat pleaded not guilty on Thursday (April 11) to war crimes charges including responsibility for murdering, raping and torturing Bosnian Serbs.

    Zdravko Mucic, an ex-prison camp chief, appeared before the United Nations (U.N.) criminal tribunal for former Yugoslavia, after having been handed over by Austrian police at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on Tuesday.

    He is charged with committing the crimes while he was commander of the Celebici prison camp at Konjic in central Bosnia in 1992.

    A March 22 tribunal indictment accuses Mucic of responsibility for crimes committed by his subordinates, including at least 14 murders, torture, rape and forcing prisoners to perform sexual acts.

    Dressed in a grey sweater and trousers, Mucic identified himself by his full name and nickname of Pavo before pleading not guilty to the charges against him.

    Mucic's lawyer, British barrister Robert Rhodes, told the tribunal his client fully understood the charges against him, but that it was too early to say whether he would submit preliminary motions before the tribunal.

    Rhodes, wearing a British barrister's traditional horsehair wig and gown, told tribunal judge Gabrielle McDonald of the United States he would need more time to consult his client.

    Judge McDonald gave the prosecution until April 19 to present evidence to the defence, and requested special measures to retain anonymity for rape victims.

    Mucic was arrested in Vienna on March 18 at the tribunal's request, after he was indicted along with three Bosnian Moslems in the first set of charges alleging war crimes against Bosnian Serb victims.

    His deputy Hazim Delic, Celebici camp guard Esad Landzo and Bosnian Moslem regional military commander Zeynil Delalic were all named in the March 22 tribunal indictment.

    Delalic, commander of a unit of Bosnian Moslem forces from June to November 1992, was arrested by German police in Munich last month. He agreed on Wednesday to his extradition to the Hague and the tribunal has said it expected to take custody of Delalic within weeks.

    Landzo and Delic remain at large although Bosnian authorities have given the tribunal assurances they will be arrested and handed over.

    The two were accused of beating men to death with wooden planks, baseball bats, shovels and pieces of cable as well as torturing detainees, many in their 60s and 70s, with pliers, corrosives, electrical currents and hot metal pincers.

    The tribunal now has four men in custody, two Serbs and two Croats. Three are held at the tribunal's detention centre near the Hague, while the fourth is held under house arrest at an unspecified Dutch address.

    To date the tribunal has indicted 57 war crimes suspects, including 46 Serbs, eight Croats and three Moslems.


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