WEEK AHEAD: Trial of Hamza Battalion Member Starts
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The trial of Sefik Alic, former member of BiH Army indicted for crimes committed in Bosanska Krajina, starts next week.
The trial will begin by reading of the indictment and introductory statements of Prosecution and Defence on Friday, 11 May.
The Prosecution charges Alic, former commander for security of ‘Hamza’ battalion of the 5th Corpus of BiH Army, with taking part in the physical and mental maltreatment of prisoners and for not ordering investigations into the murders of four members of Republika Srpska Army during the ‘Oluja’ military action, which was implemented jointly by BiH Army and Croatian Army in both states.
On the same day, 11 May, the Appeals Chamber will listen to the Prosecution and Defence’s appeals to the first instance verdict in the case of Nikola Kovacevic.
Kovacevic, a former member of Serbian armed forces (SOS) who was called Danilusko Kajtez at the time the crimes were committed, was sentenced on 3 November 2006 to 12 years imprisonment for crimes committed on the territory of Sanski Most municipality in Bosanksa Krajina during 1992.
The first Prosecution witnesses at the trial against four former members of Republika Srpska Army indicted for crimes in Srebrenica will be examined on Wednesday, 9 May. Zdravko Bozic, Mladen Blagojevic, Zeljko Zaric and Zoran Zivanovic are charged with taking part in murders, forced deportation and detention of Bosniaks after the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995.
The trial of Zoran Jankovic, charged with attacks on Bosniak civilians on the territory of Zvornik and Kalesija in 1992, continues on Monday and Tuesday, 7 and 8 May. The process against Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko Knezevic, indicted for crimes in detention camps Omarska and Keraterm committed during 1992, will also continue on those days.
On 8 May, the Prosecution will continue its examination of witnesses in the trial of Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic . All four are former members of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) charged with crimes committed in detention camp Vojno near Mostar.
The hearing, originally scheduled for 23 April, was postponed as the Trial Chamber released Izet Bazdarevic and Emira Babic, defence attorneys of the second indictee Dragan Sunjic, from duty.
On the same day, 8 May, the two last Prosecution witnesses in the case of Nenad Tanaskovic – a former policeman indicted for murders, rapes and illegal detention of civilians on the territory of Visegrad municipality from April to end June 1992 – will appear in court.
The trial of Jadranko Palija continues on Wednesday and Thursday, 9 and 10 May. According to the indictment, the former member of the 4th Krajiska Brigade of the Republika Srpska Army allegedly committed crimes against humanity and war crimes against civilians on the territory of Sanski Most and wider region of Bosanska Krajina in the period from 1992 to 1995.
On the same dates, the retrial of Boban Simsic – a former policeman from Visegrad indicted for crimes against humanity against local civilians – will continue before the appeals chamber.
On Wednesday, 9 May the first defence witnesses in the case of Niset Ramic will appear before the Court of BiH. The former member of Territorial Defence of BiH is charged with murder of a group of Serb civilians on the territory of Visoko municipality in 1992.
The following day, the prosecution will end its proceedings against Kreso Lucic – a member of Croatian Defence Council indicted for detention and maltreatment of civilians on the territory of Kresevo, Kiseljak, Busovaca and Vitez municipalities.
The begining of trial against Pasko Ljubicic, which was postponed on 10 April because the Prosecution’s material evidence was not translated, is on Friday, 11 May. The former commander of the 4th Battalion of Military Police, Croatian Defence Council, is charged with crimes committed on the territory of Central Bosnia during 1993.
