A witness at the trial of five Bosniak military policemen, charged with crimes against prisoners of war in northern Bosnia in 1995, said detainees who were being set free were beaten first.

The state court ordered the release of former Bosnian Serb special policeman Zeljko Ivanovic, jailed for assisting the Srebrenica genocide, because the wrong criminal code was used at his trial.

Former Bosnian Serb Army chief Mladic has begun his defence at the Hague Tribunal against charges of genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1992-95 conflict.