Belgrade, 7 February 2004 (RFE/RL) -- The trial of suspects charged with the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic resumed today with defense lawyers filing criminal charges against the presiding judge, accusing him of membership in a criminal gang.
Lawyers accused Judge Marko Kljajevic of being a member of a Belgrade rival gang to the Zeman Clan, the criminal group that the suspects in the trial allegedly belong to.
Prosecutors want the charges against 36 suspects to be separated into two indictments to simplify the proceedings. The first would deal with the 13 people suspected of direct involvement in the murder. The second would deal with the 23 others. The court adjourned. It wasn't immediately clear when the trial will resume.
Djindjic was assassinated by sniper fire in Belgrade last year.
Prosecutors want the charges against 36 suspects to be separated into two indictments to simplify the proceedings. The first would deal with the 13 people suspected of direct involvement in the murder. The second would deal with the 23 others. The court adjourned. It wasn't immediately clear when the trial will resume.
Djindjic was assassinated by sniper fire in Belgrade last year.