War crimes trial
underwayA 41-year-old Bosnian who's now a Norwegian citizen pleaded not guilty in Oslo on Wednesday to charges that he tortured and raped civilian Serbs during the war in Bosnia-Hercegovina.
 It's the first time since World War II that a war crimes trial is being heard in Norway. PHOTO: KATRINE NORDLI  The trial is being heard in the largest courtroom in Oslo's courthourse, Rettsal 828. PHOTO: JAN TOMAS ESPEDAL  Many of the defendant's alleged offenses were carried out at this prison camp in Capljina south of Mostar. PHOTO: NORWEGIAN POLICE |
The man later came as a refugee to Norway and now is at the center of the country's first war crimes trial since World War II.
The 41-year-old, who in accordance with local press practice isn't expected to be publicly identified until a verdict is reached, is charged with serious abuse of 18 civilian Serbs in the early 1990s, including the rape of a Serbian woman after he raided her home 1992.
She couldn't endure the trauma of testifying during the trial, however, and hasn't traveled to Norway. Other alleged victims of the defendant are expected to testify, also via video links.
The charges against the 41-year-old are detailed in a seven-page indictment. Much of the alleged torture is believed to have taken place at the prison camp Dretelj south of Mostar.
It's believed that as many as 100 persons now living in Norway are suspected of war crimes in the former Jugoslavia. In this case, the defendant came to Norway in 1993, living first in Gjøvik and then in Oslo. He has lived a quiet life with a wife and two children, who now are teenagers. He has worked as a teacher and received Norwegian citizenship before his history in the Croatian Defence Forces became known. He was arrested by Norwegian police in May 2007.
His defense attorney, Heidi Bache-Wiig, told the judge that her client acknowledges parts of the facts presented in the case against him, regarding the seizures of some of his alleged victims. She has argued, however, that the case should be dismissed since laws applying to it weren't in effect in 1992.
She also notes that her client wasn't a Norwegian citizen in 1992, contending that the alleged offenses were carried out by a foreigner in a foreign country.
The case is being heard in the largest courtroom in the Oslo city court house (Tingrett) and is expected to go on for eight weeks. A professor from the University of Oslo is due to give an overview of the war in the Balkans, and then prosecutors will present their case against the defendant. He's expected to testify on September 3 and witness testimony is due to begin in mid-September.
Jostein Ihlebæk
Aftenposten English Web Desk
Nina Berglund
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