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Protected witness Z1, former member of the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, told the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina that, in mid-July 1995 he went, together with eight other members of his Squad, to Branjevo farm, Zvornik municipality, where they then shot prisoners from Srebrenica.
“Upon our arrival in Branjevo, Kos told us that prisoners would be lined in columns and we should fire one bullet on their napes. When the first bus came, I noticed that between 40 and 50 prisoners were in it. Military policemen took groups of between eight and ten prisoners out of the bus, while Kos and Brano Gojkovic took them to the place, where they were then shot,” the witness said.
Witness Z1 said that some prisoners were blindfolded, facing away from members of the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad, who “fired individual bullets” at the prisoners.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Kos, Kojic, Golijan and Goronja with genocide in Srebrenica through participating in the murder of more than 800 men and boys on Branjevo military farm, Zvornik municipality in July 1995.
According to the charges, Kos was Commander of the First Unit with the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad of the VRS Main Headquarters and Kojic, Golijan and Goronja were members of that Squad. All of them participated in the shooting of prisoners, some of whom were blindfolded and tied.
During the war, indictee Stanko Kojic used the name of Stanko Savanovic.
Witness Z1 said that, after they had shot one group of prisoners, Kos and some other members of the Squad “verified” the murders by firing bullets at the prisoners, who had been shot, from a revolver in order to make sure that none of them would survive.
“I know that one of the prisoners tried to flee, but Savanovic shot him. All prisoners, who were shot at that location, were men. I think that 12 or 13 buses came to Branjevo on that day, bringing prisoners, but I do not know how many men were shot,” the witness said.
The witness said that members of the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad, including witness Z1, Kos, Savanovic, Golijan and Goronja, received the order to shoot the prisoners from a Pelemis.
“While we were in Dragasevac, near Vlasenica, Pelemis asked us to see him one morning. He told us that prisoners from Srebrenica would be shot. When I told him that I could not do it, he put a gun on my forehead and said I had to take part in the operation,” the witness said.
The trial is due to continue on August 23 this year, when the Defence of the indictees will cross-examine witness Z1.
S.U.
