The trial of wartime Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency member Ejup Ganic and nine former military and police officials, accused of war crimes against members of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), began at the State Court in Sarajevo on Wednesday.

The defendants include former Territorial Defence commander Hasan Efenedic, former BiH interior ministers Jusuf Pusina and Bakir Alispahic, and retired BiH Army generals Fikret Muslimovic and Hamid Bahto.

They are accused of command responsibility for an attack on a JNA convoy withdrawing from Sarajevo on 3 May 1992. According to the indictment, in a clash between Territorial Defence and police forces, eight officers, soldiers and civilians were killed, more than 20 were wounded, and dozens of those taken prisoners were mistreated.

Prosecutor Mladen Vukojevic said Ganic was responsible for ignoring a BiH Presidency decision on a way to secure the JNA withdrawal and for inciting military and police officials to organise the attack.

Also in the convoy was Presidency chairman Alija Izetbegovic, who had been captured earlier.

Defence counsel said the prosecution ignored many of the essential facts, such as that an international armed conflict was ongoing at the time and that Sarajevo was under siege by the JNA and Serb paramilitaries.

It is expected the trial will be long as the prosecutor announced 277 witnesses.