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Press Release · Communiqué de presse
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)
CC/PIO/089-E
The Hague, 17 June 1996
PUBLIC MOTION HEARING ON LAJIC SCHEDULED FOR 4 P.M. TODAY
A public hearing on the Prosecutor's motion to drop the charges against the Goran LAJIC currently in the Tribunal's custody and to release him will be held at 4 p.m. today before Trial Chamber I.
BACKGROUND
In a motion filed on 12 June 1996, the Prosecutor petitioned Trial Chamber I to withdraw the charges against this Goran LAJIC on the grounds that he is not the Goran LAJIC named in the indictment "Sikirica and Others". This request is made without prejudice to the charges against the Goran LAJIC referred to in the indictment.
The Goran LAJIC whose release is now requested was arrested in Germany on 18 March 1992 and turned over to the Tribunal on 13 May 1996 on the basis that his name and date of birth matched that of the Goran LAJIC named in the indictment. He made his initial appearance before Trial Chamber I on 17 May 1996, when he pleaded not-guilty to all counts on the indictment and claimed he was
a victim of mistaken identity. He told the Trial Chamber that he had "never set eyes on the camp Keraterm".
At the initial appearance, the Prosecutor make further inquiries in order to resolve the issue of the accused's identity. A photoboard which included a photograph of the Goran LAJIC in the Tribunal's custody was prepared and shown to ten witnesses.
Nine witnesses could not identify this Goran LAJIC as being the guard or interrogator at Keraterm Camp. One witness, however, said he was 90 percent certain that this Goran LAJIC was the perpetrator of crimes at Keraterm.
The Goran LAJIC being held by the Tribunal was interviewed by the Prosecutor on 10 June 1996 in relation to the question of his identity. As a result of this interview and the photoboard identifications conducted by the Prosecutor, the Prosecutor believes that there is not sufficient evidence to conclude that the Goran LAJIC in custody is the same one named in the indictment
confirmed by Judge VOHRAH on 21 July 1995.
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