Koricanske stijene: Life-threatening Situation

Protected witness O1, who testified in a separate cabin due to protection measures, told the Court that he left Prijedor, accompanied by his wife and child, because of “the life-threatening situation”, adding that he joined a convoy which moved from Tukovi to “free territory” on August 21, 1992. As O1 said “a military person – the Interventions Squad” escorted the truck he was traveling in.

As stated by the witness, on its way to Travnik the convoy stopped several times. The last but one stop was at Koricanske stijene, where he saw indictee Zeljko Stojnic and “the Interventions Squad group”.

“The person who escorted our truck counted 15 of us. He counted me as well, but I stayed there. When he came again, he took 18 more people with him. We were like sardines in a can. As some people were leaving, there was more space in the truck. I managed to hide. He singled out the male passengers. He told them: ‘Do not be afraid. We need you to do something…’,” O1 said.

The witness testified for the Defence of Milorad Radakovic, who is charged together with Zoran Babic, Milorad Skrbic, Ljubisa Cetic, Dusan Jankovic and Zeljko Stojnic, former members of the Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, with crimes against humanity.

The indictment alleges that the six men participated, on August 21, 1992, in escorting a convoy of more than 1,200 civilians who were “supposed to be exchanged in Travnik”. The indictment alleges that about 200 men were separated from the rest of the people and shot at Koricanske stijene.

O1 said that he saw Radakovic “up there at the end of the road”, when the truck arrived at a plateau.

“We gathered there forming one group. Then I saw a bus and I saw Radakovic standing in the front part. We greeted each other. We left the location and he, I guess, went back,” O1 said, adding that he knew Radakovic “as a pleasant man”. He said they “merrily and gladly spent time together as friends”.

The Defence of the second indictee examined witness O2, who was in the convoy of people leaving Prijedor on August 21, 1992. She told the Court that she only saw Radakovic after having got off the truck. She said she saw him “in some bus”, adding that she then joined the others who “went to Travnik by foot”.

“On our way, they took some people out. My husband stayed in the truck. He managed to hide. During the trip I saw Zeljk Stojnic somewhere,” O2 said answering the Trial Chamber’s questions.

At this hearing the Trial Chamber announced that the State Prosecution had filed a motion asking the Chamber to expand the prohibiting measures against Radakovic, Babic and Skrbic.

As briefly explained in court, the Prosecution proposed that the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, “randomly visit and inspect” the three indictees, who are obliged to regularly report to the Police Station in Prijedor. The requirement to report to the Police Station has been in force since the beginning of 2009, when their custody was terminated.

The Defence teams objected to the proposal, arguing that the additional measure to be unnecessary. The Court will render its decision at a later stage.

“I see this type of inspection more as a pressure than inspection,” said Zlatko Knezevic, who represented Radakovic at this hearing instead of his Defence attorney Slavica Cvoro.

The next hearings are due to take place on January 18 and 19, when Gordan Djuric and the indictee will testify for the Defence. In September 2008 Djuric was sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting that he participated in the crime committed at Koricanske stijene.