Vlastimir Golijan’s Guilt Admission Rejected

At the hearing at which his guilt admission statement was scheduled to be discussed before the Court, Vlastimir Golijan, former member of the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, said he did not understand the meaning of the term “genocide”, but he admitted he participated in the murder of civilians on Branjevo military farm.

“I do not understand what genocide is. My Defence attorney told me about it, but I do not know what genocide is. (…) I admit I went to Srebrenica on July 11 and I stayed overnight and left the town on the following day. I never went back to the town. I admit I participated in the murder of civilians in the Branjevo region on July 16. I feel sorry for those people,” Golijan said.

When Golijan said he did not understand what genocide meant, the Trial Chamber rejected his guilt admission statement.

“The Trial Chamber has decided to reject Golijan’s guilt admission statement. A guilt admission statement must be complete and the indictee has to admit to the factual description and the legal qualification of the crime,” Trial Chamber Chairwoman Mira Smajlovic said.

On September 8, 2010, Golijan attended a plea hearing and admitted guilt for participation in genocide committed in Srebrenica. At that hearing he said he understood the indictment.

At the same hearing Franc Kos, Stanko Kojic and Zoran Goronja pleaded not guilty. The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina has charged all four men with “direct and personal participation” in the shooting of Bosniaks who were captured after the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995.

The Prosecution considers that the indictees and other members of the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad participated in the shooting of more than 800 men and boys, some of whom were blindfolded with their hands tied, on Branjevo military farm.

Golijan said that, prior to his arrest in February 2010, he considered admitting guilt.

“From the beginning of our cooperation the indictee said he wanted to conclude an agreement and admit guilt. I tried to explain to him what genocide was, but he did not understand. My client has only completed elementary education. He was a good pupil, but you cannot expect him to understand what genocide is,” Defence attorney Rade Golic said.

Smajlovic said that the trial of Golijan would continue, but the indictee would have an opportunity to reach a guilt admission agreement with the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the upcoming period, if he chose to do so.