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At the session at which Zecevic was due to enter his plea on charges for contempt of court for refusing to testify, he said that he had never refused to testify before the Hague Tribunal, but he had objected to the duration of his testimony.
“In case my testimony is supposed to last for three or four hours per day, I would need as much time for passive work. This would jeopardize my life. I asked that the Prosecution take my health condition into consideration.
“My requests, by which I attempted to regain my integrity and freedom, were interpreted in the wrong way,” said Zecevic, who is due to testify at the trial of Radovan Karadzic on Tuesday, February 22.
When asked by judge O-Gon Kwon if he was capable of testifying for three hours only, Zecevic said he would testify for “as long as the Court considers it necessary”.
“We are willing to be permissive to your health condition to the extent possible, but it is not up to you to set the conditions for your testimony,” judge Kwon said.
Considering the fact that Zecevic has agreed to testify, his status as indictee was revoked and the proceedings against him discontinued, as per a decision rendered by the Tribunal. The Prosecution did not object to the withdrawal of the indictment against Zecevic.
Berko Zecevic was extradited to the Hague Tribunal on February 17 after he was arrested in Bosnia on Friday, February 11.
Over the past several years Professor Zecevic has carried out several expert analyses for cases held before the Hague Tribunal and Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Radovan Karadzic, former President of Republika Srpska and supreme Commander of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, is on trial for genocide, crimes against humanity and violation of the laws and customs of war committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. He is charged, among other things, with a sniping and shelling campaign conducted in Sarajevo.
A.S.
