The defense seeks three times as much time as the prosecution took for the presentation of the case. Krajisnik's testimony, planned to begin in January, should take 280 hours – almost four months, without a break. Krajisnik "sweats at night"


Momcilo Krajisnik's defense will begin with its case on Monday, 10 October. It is not yet know how long the case will take. At today's pre-defense conference, Krajisnik's defense counsel Nicholas Stewart asked to be allotted 1,000 hours or 250 working days for the presentation of their evidence. It would take at least a year of non-stop sitting to complete it.

When Presiding Judge Alphons Orie noted that this was "nowhere near an acceptable figure," Stewart amended his request, saying that he was actually asking for 800 to 900 hours, which would include the cross-examination. The defense plans to call about 90 witnesses and has indicated that Krajisnik himself will take the stand. The defense plans for his testimony to last 175 hours, after which the prosecution would have 105 hours to cross-examine him. This means that Krajisnik's testimony would last almost 4 months, provided there are no breaks.

Since Krajisnik's team, as Stewart admitted, did not have enough time to make a more specific calculation of the time needed for their case, Judge Orie gave the defense some time to do it, announcing that the decision on the time allotted for the defense would be made within 2 weeks. It has been the practice at the Tribunal for the two sides to be given approximately the same amount of time for their cases. In the case of Krajisnik, who has been charged with genocide and other war crimes in BH, the prosecution case took 290 hours. This figure included the cross-examination.

Because it is short on time, Momcilo Krajisnik's defense has not provided the prosecution with the summary of the testimony of the first witnesses. It was supposed to do that ten days ago. Prosecutor Mark Harmon indicated that, should this become regular practice, the prosecution would seek to establish contact with the witnesses before their testimony. The accused opposed this idea strenuously. "There are lists being circulated in Bosnia and Herzegovina with thousands of people who are allegedly to be tried before the BH State Court. The witnesses are frightened and if the prosecutors from The Hague come looking for them, no one will dare come here and testify," Krajisnik said.

Krajisnik named his lawyer Nicholas Stewart as the main culprit for the above mentioned state of affairs, because "he can't meet deadlines, but will raise the financing issue". The accused says he has reached "a state of chronic failure to agree" with Stewart and that "this is make-shift defense". All of this is causing him "to break out in sweat every night".

The defense will present the opening statement on Monday. The first witness is expected to take the stand Tuesday.

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