Neskovic and Ilic: Trial to Begin in December

At a pre-trial status conference the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced it would examine 26 witnesses and present numerous pieces of material evidence, while the Defence did not specify its plans for the presentation of evidence.
 
“We shall specify our plans after the Prosecution has completed its presentation of evidence,” said Vesna Tupajic-Skiljevic, Defence attorney for Dragan Neskovic. Tupajic-Skiljevic also represented Zoran Ilic at the status conference because his Defence attorney, Milos Peric, failed to appear in the courtroom.
 
Nevertheless, Tupajic-Skiljevic said that the two indictees would defend themselves with their alibis during the course of the trial.
 
The State Prosecution charges Neskovic and Ilic with having participated, while armed, in the search of houses in the Budak settlement, near Potocari, with the aim of gathering Bosniaks and escorting them to the UN Base in Potocari on July 12 and 13, 1995.

At the time the two indictees were allegedly members of the Jahorina Training Center with the Special Brigade of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, MUP, of Republika Srpska, RS.
 
The indictment alleges that, together with other members of the Center, they captured Bosniak men on July 13 and 14, 1995 and took groups of them to the Kravica Agricultural Cooperative, where they were executed.
 
Neskovic is charged with having ordered two members of the Training Center to kill two men. They carried out his alleged order. Ilic is charged with having “verified” executions by firing into bodies of killed people and executing an imprisoned Bosniak on July 17, 1995.
 
The State Court confirmed the indictment against Neskovic and Ilic in September. The two indictees pleaded not guilty in late October this year.

A.J.