Neskovic and Ilic: Knowledge and Fitness Refreshment

Milan Stojcinovic, who was in charge of administrative affairs in the Jahorina Training Centre with the Special Police Brigade of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska (MUP RS) in 1995, said that before the events in Srebrenica over 200 deserters who were arrested in Serbia came to Jahorina.

Stojcinovic, who testified in favor of Neskovic, said the deserters “come to refresh their knowledge and fitness”, and that they went through infantry training. As he said, they were the young soldiers there who have passed another type of training.

“I knew Neskovic’s parents and when he told me their names, I recognised him. I thought to protect him a little bit, so I put him in my office to do some jobs”, said the witness.

Stojcinovic added that the indictee looked “lost, and perhaps even frightened” at Jahorina.

However, after five to six days, as the witness said, Neskovic joined other members in the training, but he does not know who gave him that order.

“It is possible that I met him when he joined the other members, but I can not remember whether I asked him in which Squad he is stationed. There were no cases that any of the deserters was at some command post”, said Stojcinovic.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Neskovic and Ilic with having participated, on July 13 and 14, 1995, in the capture of Bosniak men, who were then taken in groups to the Agricultural Co-operative in Kravica, Bratunac municipality, where they were executed.

The indictment alleges that Neskovic and Ilic were members of the Jahorina Training Centre with the Special Brigade of Republika Srpska police.

Neskovic is charged with having ordered two members of that Unit to kill two captured men of Bosniak nationality, which they did,

Ilic is charged with having shot from an automatic gun at a pile of bodies of prisoners, who had already been shot, and that he killed one detainee in settlement Jelah.

As witness Stojcinovic said, one Squad of the members of the Jahorina Training Centre went to the area of Srebrenica on July 11, 1995, and the second Squad went on the following day.

As the witness said, a few days later, members of the Centre again came to Jahorina, while others fled to Serbia again. Higher quality members, as he explained, were assigned to the police units, and the rest to the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS).

“After the operation in Srebrenica, I think that Neskovic got the grade to remain in the police. It is very possible that his immediate commander was satisfied with his work in Srebrenica”.

Vesna Tupajic-Skiljevic, Defence attorney of indictee Neskovic, informed the Trial Chamber that she renounced from the hearing of the last witness who in this trial, but also on the previous one, failed to appear even though he was called.

The lodging of material evidence in the case file then completed the presentation of evidence of Neskovic’s Defence.

The continuation of trial is scheduled for January 24 this year, when the first Defence witness of indictee Ilic will be interrogated.