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One of the items of material evidence presented at this hearing was a video recording shown in court, made in 1992 during a visit to Kula by Momcilo Mandic, the then Minister of Justice of Republika Srpska, RS, Paddy Ashdown, then a British Member of Parliament, and Radovan Karadzic, the then President of RS.
Prosecutor Behaija Krnjic said the recording showed “indictee Soniboj Skiljevic, dressed in military uniform”. In addition to the recording, the Trial Chamber was given a transcript of the conversation held on this occasion.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Skiljevic and Radoje Lalovic with events that took place in Kula, where detainees, including women and children, “were held in inhumane conditions” and taken to other locations where they performed forced labour. The indictment alleges that Lalovic was Manager of Kula until the end of 1992, while Skiljevic was his Deputy. From December 1992 to the end of 1995 Skiljevic performed the function of Manager.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina presented as evidence a transcript of an intercepted conversation between Mandic and Radivoje Grkovic, Commander of Nedzarici Battalion, which was obtained from the former Security Service of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The conversation concerned a request to Mandic to send 30 to 40 Turks. Mandic promised that he would meet the request with Lalovic’s help,” Prosecutor Krnjic said.
The State Prosecution then presented as evidence a certified copy of a report on injuries sustained on duty, made by a person named Ilija Soro on August 23, 1993. This report was submitted to the Manager of “Butmir” Correctional Facility in Kula.
The Prosecutor said the Report “indicated that Muslim detainees were taken out from dormitories and beaten up”.
The Court was shown several requests from military authorities to “Butmir” Facility in Kula “pertaining to taking prisoners to other locations to perform forced labour”, as well as a list of detainees, which was “uncertified, unsigned and undated”.
The Defence of the indictees questioned the legality of these documents.
Presenting this material evidence, the State Prosecution sought to prove the status of the indictees in the “Butmir” Facility in Kula. To this end it presented a list of employees, as well as a certificate which, according to the Prosecutor, was signed by Lalovic in his capacity as Manager, adding that its content was not important.
The Prosecutor said that in one of the letters sent from the Penal and Correctional Facility on November 17, 1992, Lalovic, in his capacity as Manager, “asked for approval of certain resources to cover the costs pertaining to detainees”. This letter was also introduced as evidence.
It presented a decision issued by the Ministry of Justice of the former Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ordering the establishment of “penal and correctional organizations” starting on May 1, 1992. A decision on establishing “Butmir” Penal and Correctional Facility, published in the Official Gazette on June 30, 1992, was also introduced.
The trial is due to continue on August 19, when the Defence will start presenting its evidence.
