(Croatian) Parliament strips immunity from a lawmaker accused of war crimes

Source: Associated Press

2008-01-12 23:45:01 -

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - ...

Branimir Glavas, who is charged with wartime atrocities against Serb civilians, had been on trial for war crimes, because a previous Parliament had lifted his parliamentary immunity.
However, his trial was suspended and he was freed from jail Friday, when a court ruled that he had automatically regained immunity with the formation of the new Parliament -- to which he was re-elected.

Saturday's action by the new Parliament, again stripping Glavas' immunity, means the trial can proceed once more.

Glavas -- formerly a prominent member of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union -- had been in detention since 2006, when the previous parliament lifted his immunity so he could be prosecuted.
In the new, 153-seat parliament, 132 lawmakers voted to lift his immunity, as requested by prosecutors. But majority .. voted against the request to detain him again, arguing that he could no longer affect witnesses or the process itself.

Since October, Glavas had been on trial for allegedly forming a paramilitary unit during the 1991 Serbo-Croat war and ordering the torture and killings of at least two Serb civilians ...

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