Former Interior minister of FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Ljube Boskoski and Johan Tarculovski, a senoir police officer will make the closing statements in the Hauge where they are on trial for war crimes.

The accusations of war crimes against the two men relate to attrocities committed in 2001 against the ethnic Albanian minority in Ljuboten, near Skopje. The prosecution says that the Slav Macedonians, Boskoski and Tarculovski, had "command responsibility" for the massacre and deaths of 7 Albanian villagers. Boskoski is alleged to have instructed Tarculovski to lead the police unit in carrying out the massacre.

 The defence will seek the aquittal of both men claiming no evidence of their involvement in the incident has been presented.

 A final decision on the "Ljuboten" case is expected within three months of the closing statements. Meanwhile 4 other cases remain to be trialled relating to the war between the Former Yugoslav Republic's government and the Albanian minority in 2001. 

 (SOURCES: BalkanAnalysis, Turkish Daily)

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