The week ahead: Three trials next week

The trial chamber in the case of former Bosnian Serb policeman from Visegrad, Boban Simsic will carry out a reconstruction of events at alleged scenes of crime on July 3.

The reconstruction will take place at the elementary school Hasan Veletovac and Visegrad fire station, where Bosniak civilians were detained in the first half 1992. Simsic is alleged to have participated in the abuse of detainees in these two facilities.

Both the prosecution and defence are due to present their closing statements following the reconstruction.

According to the existing law, a verdict must be handed three days after both sides present their closing statements.

The prosecution is trying to prove that Boban Simsic is guilty of war crimes against civilians, and that he committed murders, abuse, rape and expulsion of Bosniaks on the territory of eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad.

The defence denies those statements and claims that during that time Simsic was not on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The trial of Dragan Damjanovic will continue next week with the questioning of three more witnesses scheduled to take place on July 3. Damjanovic is charged with crimes against civilian population committed on the territory of municipality Vogosca.

Prosecution witnesses who testified thus far spoke about the beginning of the war in Vogosca and the siege of this Sarajevo municipality in May 1992.

Some of the witnesses identified Damjanovic as the person who personally tortured them, while others identified him as the person responsible for the death and torture of other camp inmates in Vogosca.

Damjanovic is also alleged to have in July 1992 separated five civilians from a group of 20 Bosniaks who were taken to forced labour on Zuc hill. He is alleged to have taken these men towards the front lines and killed them.

The presentation of prosecution’s evidence in the case against 11 indictees charged with the massacre of around 1.000 Bosniaks in Kravica warehouse near Srebrenica in July 1995 will continue next week. Hearings are scheduled for July 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Witnesses who testified so far confirmed that the massacre took place on July 13 and that it was committed by members of Serb military forces.

The last witness, Zoran Eric, said that on the morning of July 13 he saw buses full of people going towards the warehouse, and that on that same day around 5:00 p.m. he heard shooting which lasted for about an hour. He also said that shooting was continued around 8:00 p.m. and that it was followed by detonations, screams and pleadings “Give us water” and “Dear mother”.

He also confirmed the previous statement according to which he saw a group of detainees come out of the forest, who were taken to the storage shed with the others, and that on the road towards Sandici he saw groups of armed Serb soldiers and armoured vehicles.