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Emin Pleho, one of two civilians, whose physical abuse is charged upon Asonja and Djeric before the District Court in Eastern Sarajevo, said that he did not call for their punishment, pointing out that they were drunk.
“I am not asking for their punishment. I have not sued them either,” Pleho said, responding to questions made by Miodrag Stojanovic, Defence attorney of Ilija Djeric.
Prior to the examination of the first witness, the indictment was read and Prosecution presented its introductory arguments, saying, among other things, that it would prove, through the examination of its two witnesses, that the indictees had committed the crime charged upon them. The Defence did not present its introductory arguments.
The District Prosecution of Eastern Sarajevo charges Asonja and Djeric, former members of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS with having physically abused civilians Emin Pleho and Ramiz Katica, who were held in the “Rasadnik” detention camp at that time, in Zemegresi village, Rogatica municipality in April 1994.
The indictment alleges that the indictees physically attacked Pleho and Katica in April 1994, while they were trying to repair a car.
Responding to questions made by Mirza Hukeljic, Prosecutor with the District Prosecution in Sarajevo, Pleho told the Court that he remembered that Djeric had hit him on his right eye, while Asonja had fired bullets around his and Katica’s legs.
Pleho said that he thought that Djeric did not hit him on purpose, but it happened accidentally when he “started falling down”.
“There was no intention to do it. He started falling down. It looked like a circus,” Pleho said.
Prosecutor Hukeljic said that Pleho’s testimony before the Eastern Sarajevo District Court was different from his statement given to the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA in September 2006. The Prosecutor wanted to present the mentioned statement, but Trial Chamber Chairman Miodrag Krkeljas did not allow him to do it, because the said piece of evidence was not proposed under the indictment.
The trial is due to continue on September 26 this year, when Nermin Katica, the son of Ramiz Katica who has since died, will testify. A.S.
