NEXT WEEK: One more rape trial
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Sixteen war crimes indictees will appear before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina next week.
On Tuesday, February 6, the Prosecution will begin presenting evidence against Radmilo Vukovic, who is charged with the rape of a woman in Foca.
According to the indictment, in 1992 Vukovic was a member of the Republika Srpska Army. The Prosecution believes that during 1992 he raped and otherwise physically tortured one woman in Miljevina near Foca. After being expelled, on February 20, 1993, she gave birth to a child. Today, she is the key witness in the Vukovic trial.
The Trial Chamber has already refused a request from the Defence to hold the proceedings behind closed doors. According to announcements, the key witness should appear in the courtroom with identity protection measures.
Zoran Jankovic, a former member of the Republika Srpska Army who is charged with crimes committed against civilians on the territory of Zvornik and Kalesija, should also appear before the Court on Tuesday.
Jankovic recently pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, and a status conference before the beginning of the trial should be held next week.
In accordance with the Court’s decision, Jankovic is allowed to stand trial on bail, but he is ordered not to make any contact with possible prosecution witnesses and not to leave his place of residence. He is also ordered to regularly check in with the police.
The Prosecution has charged Jankovic that between April and June 1992 he, jointly with other members of Republika Srpska Army and paramilitary formations, took part in attacks against civilians in the region of Zvornik and Kalesija.
Among other things, he is charged with involvement in the detention of a group of civilians near Snagovo village. According to the indictment, 36 detainees were murdered and three were wounded. Bodies of those who were murdered were burnt, in order to hide the crime.
After the Prosecution ended its presentation of evidence against Momcilo Mandic – the former justice minister in Radovan Karadzic’s government charged with a number of crimes in Sarajevo and Foca – another status conference will be held on February 7.
At that time the Trial Chamber is scheduled to announce its decision in regards to the admission of evidence submitted from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, which is the subject of dispute between the two sides. After the Trial Chamber announces its decision, the Defence should begin presenting its evidence.
The trials of Niset Ramic and Radisav Ljubinac will be continued on Monday, February 5. The Prosecution will continue presenting evidence in both cases. Ramic, a former member of Territorial Defence of BiH, is charged with the murder of a group of Serb civilians, which took place in 1992 in Visoko.
Ljubinac is charged with involvement in a crime committed by members of the Republika Srpska Army against civilians from the territory of Rogatica municipality. Further hearings in the Ljubinac trial will be held on February 7 and 8.
The trial against 11 indictees charged with genocide against Bosniaks in Kravica village near Srebrenica should be continued on Wednesday, February 7 and Thursday February 8. The Prosecution is in the process of questioning additional witnesses.
