Klickovic et al: Longest Time in Custody

The Defence of Gojko Klickovic has asked the Court to allow the indictee to defend himself while at liberty, providing a written guarantee. Attorney Dusko Tomic said that, of all the detainees, Klickovic “has spent the longest time in custody”.

The State Prosecution objected to the Defence’s motion. The Trial Chamber will render a decision at a later stage.

“I have never considered fleeing. I do not have the need for that. I have never tried to run away from war crimes. If you let me defend myself while at liberty, I would stay in my brother’s new house in Bosanski Novi,” Klickovic told the Trial Chamber.

The Prosecution argues that towards the end of the trial Klickovic could try to flee. Dusko Tomic, Klickovic’s Defence attorney, said that keeping his client in custody would represent “retribution”. 

Klickovic was arrested in Serbia in 2006 under an international warrant. He was extradited to the judicial institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 20, 2007.

The indictment alleges that Klickovic, Mladen Drljaca and Jovan Ostojic participated in a range of crimes committed in Bosanska Krupa in the course of 1992 and a joint criminal enterprise that began in the summer of 1991.

In July and August 2008 the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina approved motions filed by the Defence of Drljaca and Ostojic, releasing them on bail amounting to KM 536,690. By the same decision certain prohibiting measures were imposed against Drljaca and Ostojic.

On the eight day of his testimony Klickovic said that the wartime Presidency rendered “important military and civilian decisions” in line with the laws that were in force at the time.

“The wartime Presidency issued orders to all those who were supposed to organize civil life in the municipality. The order to evacuate Zaluge village and Krupa town residents was issued by the wartime Presidency. It was made at their request and in line with the law,” Klickovic said.

The indictment alleges, among other things, that Klickovic was President of the wartime Presidency of the Serb municipality of Bosanska Krupa. It further alleges that in May 1992, “in line with a written order issued by the first indictee”, all Muslims from that region were forcibly resettled to the Sanski Most and Bihac areas.

During cross-examination the first indictee said that the Serbian Democratic Party, SDS, campaigned for a joint life, adding that people expressed their wish to divide Bosanska Krupa Municipality at election meetings in 1991.

“Serbs did not think about a third state at the time, as they already had Yugoslavia as the first country and Bosnia as the second one. The SDS insisted on keeping the joint state, living together in harmony,” Klickovic said.

The Defence of the three indictees objected to the manner in which the first indictee was examined, claiming that Prosecutor Philip King Alcock presented his comments and “nothing new was heard” during the course of Klickovic’s examination. The Trial Chamber concurred with the Defence’s objection.

The trial is due to continue on Wednesday, May 20.