Gazdic: Trial Closed to Public

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina accepted a proposal made by the State Prosecution, allowing the witness, who was earlier assigned a pseudonym of E, to testify with no presence of the public due to protection of her intimate life.

State Prosecutor Behaija Krnjic said that witness E was a victim of multiple rape and that she had previously testified at other trials in the absence of the public.

“The witness is a victim of systematic rape that was committed during several months in 1992 and at the beginning of 1993,” Prosecutor Krnjic said.Dusko Tomic, Defence attorney of Gazdic, did not object to the Prosecution’s proposal for exclusion of public.

The Court accepted the Prosecution’s proposal in order to protect the injured party’s intimate life.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Gazdic, former member of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, with having committed rape against several Bosniak females, who were accommodated in “Partizan” sports hall in Foca, from the beginning of April 1992 to late March 1993.

The indictment alleges that Gazdic used to come to apartments and “Partizan” sports hall, where civilians were detained, and, on several occasions, took female persons, including minor girls, away.

According to the charges, Gazdic held a minor female in sexual slavery and raped some females, while threatening them with weapons, and enabled other individuals to rape them.

According to the State Court’s official trial schedule, this trial is due to continue on February 1 this year.