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The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ordered an examination of Novica Tripkovic, former member of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, to determine whether he is “fit to stand trial”.
The decision, which made based on a request by Tripkovic’s Defence, says that the examination of the indictee is due to be carried out within the next 15 days. If the indictee is determined to be fit to stand trial, the trial will start on March 15 with the reading of the indictment and the presentation of introductory arguments.
Slavica Cvoro, Defence attorney for Tripkovic, explained that the indictee suffered from depression and he was often “absent-minded, which makes it difficult to communicate with him”.
“I hear some buzzing in my head and I suffer from severe pain. I also feel dizzy in those situations. I take medication that prevents bleeding from my ears, because I was wounded and I guess my eardrums were damaged, so I sometimes bleed from my eyes and ears,” indictee Tripkovic explained.
The State Prosecution charges Tripkovic with having raped and abused a Bosniak female and killed another person in the Foca area in the period between April and June 1992.
He was arrested in Miljevina, Foca municipality, at the beginning of December last year.
At the status conference, the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Tripkovic’s Defence presented their plans for the presentation of evidence at this trial.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced it would examine eight witnesses and two expert witnesses during the course of evidence presentation, adding it would need a total of five working days to do so. The indictee’s Defence announced it would examine three or four witnesses.
Defence attorney Cvoro said that indictee Tripkovic was expected to testify in his own defence as well.
D.Dž.
