Vukovic and Tomic: Testimony without Presence of the Public
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Franc Kos , former member of the First Unit with the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad of the VRS Main Headquarters, who is on trial for participating in genocide before the State Court, said that he was in Kravica (Bratunac municipality) on July 13, 1995.
Talking with whom he went to Kravica, Kos mentioned the pseudonym of one protected witness, who is assigned with identity protection measures in another case which is conducted before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Radivoje Lazarevic, the defence attorney of indictee Vukovic, explained that the witness Kos is familiar with protection measures for witness whom he mentioned, but the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina said that they are not familiar with the identity of that witness, and suggested that the testimony should be closed to public.
The Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina accepted this proposal, because neither the Defense nor the State Prosecution announced that they will mention person who is assigned the protection measures.
Kos testified at the retrial of Radomir Vukovic and Zoran Tomic, whom the State Court Chamber sentenced under a first instance verdict in April last year, for participating in the murder of about 1,000 male Bosniak captives in the Agricultural Co-operative building in Kravica.
Under the first instance verdict, Vukovic and Tomic, former members of the Second Special Police Squad of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska (MUP RS) from Sekovici, were sentenced to 31 years in prison each. However, following an appeals procedure, the verdict was revoked and a retrial ordered.
Kos is also on trial before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina together with Stanko Kojic, Vlastimir Golijan and Zoran Goronja, who are indicted by the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina with genocide in Srebrenica by participating in the murder of more than 800 men and boys on Branjevo military farm in July 1995.
The indictment alleges that Kos was Commander of the First Unit with the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad of the VRS’ Main Headquarters, while Kojic, Golijan and Goronja were members of that Squad.
The Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina appointed attorney Predrag Drinic as the legal advisor for Kos.
According to the official schedule of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the retrial of Vukovic and Tomic will continue on December 7, 2011.
S.U.
