Celebici Trial

(The other three co-accused are Zejnil Delalic, Zdravko Mucic and Hazim Delic.) Landzo's younger sister described him as a shy, quiet and sickly boy. According to her, when the war broke out, Landzo first joined the Territorial Defence and later the Military Police, together with his father and elder brother. The second defense witness, a Bosniak from the village of Bjelovcina near Konjic, was called to discredit some of the prosecution witnesses-alleged victims of Celebici-whose depositions charged Landzo specifically

. In response to one of the prosecution witnesses who maintained that he got a hernia as a result of beatings in the camp, the defense witness said that hernias were an inherited illness within his family. In answer to the prosecution witness who asserted that Landzo set his leg on fire -according to the indictment, this was one of Landzo's "favourite methods" of torturing detainees-last week's defense witness said that he got the burns on his leg before the war while drunk. Finally, the third defense witness--a fellow-soldier of Landzo--described the accused as a solitary person who very often suffered from depression.

Since some of the expected defense witnesses did not appear, the judges asked the prosecution to announce his rebuttal witnesses, due to be called next week. The prosecution announced four witnesses. They will, however, be able to bring in only two of them because the Trial Chamber accepted the objections of the defense of the first co-accused Zejnil Delalic on two announced rebuttal witnesses. The prosecution has brought 49 and the four accuseds' defense teams 54 witnesses. The Celebici Trial - opened on 10 March 1997 - will most probably be completed at the end of August or the beginning of September.