The Appeals Chamber yesterday ordered the temporary provisional release of Berislav Pušić.  The order stated that the release should be from the first date practicable, and no later than 17 April 2008, until 2 May 2008.

Pušić’s original request for provisional release was granted by the Trial Chamber on 19 February 2008 but the decision was stayed following the Prosecution’s appeal.

A reasoned opinion for the decision will be provided in due course, the Appeals Chamber stated.

          The accused is a former high-level leader of the Bosnian Croat wartime entity Herceg-Bosna and is on trial with five other co-accused for his alleged responsibility for war crimes committed in 1992 and 1993 against Bosnian Muslims and other non-Croats from areas in southwestern and central Bosnia and Herzegovina. The indictment focuses on alleged crimes committed in the municipalities of Prozor, Gornji Vakuf, Jablanica, Mostar, Ljubuški, Stolac, Čapljina and Vareš.

The trial started on 26 April 2006, with the prosecution case closing on 6 February 2008. On 20 February 2008 the Trial Chamber dismissed the defence motions for acquittal filed by the defence of Čorić and Pušić in accordance with the rule 98bis. The Defence’s case is set to commence on 5 May 2008.

The full text of the decisions can be found in French and English on the Tribunal’s website at www.un.org/icty.

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Courtroom proceedings can be followed on the Tribunal’s website www.un.org/icty.