Djelilovic et al: Caution because of 250 Witnesses

The Defences objected to this proposal as unfounded, proposing determination of the measures for disabling the potential influence.

“There is a danger that the indictees at freedom could further obstruct the course of criminal proceedings by influencing the witnesses and the accomplices … They live in a small geographical area, where the witnesses are living too, so they are the objective possibilities for contacts with each other but also for contacts with the witnesses”, said Prosecutor Marjan Pogacnik.

He added that an impact has already been made on one of the witnesses, to whom one former member of the police in Hadzici said: “Hey, godfather, why do you give statements just like that and divulge on people. You can not name people who have nothing to do with it”.

The Defence rejected these arguments of the Prosecutor, emphasising that none of the indictees have contacted the witnesses.

“My client is unable to contact any one of 250 witnesses. The statements of 20 witnesses are related to my client and they all live in Republika Srpska”, said Dusko Tomic, defence attorney of Nermin Kalember.

All defence attorneys have pointed out that in one similar case before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the indictess, who were also charged with crimes in the detention camp, were defending themselves from freedom.

“When the Prosecutor points to the possibility of contact with each other, it should be noted that the Prosecution is conducting this investigation since 2005”, said Edina Residovic, defence attorney of indictee Djelilovic.

The indictment charges Djelilovic et al of crimes against civilians and prisoners of war in the detention camp “Silos“ and in other facilities in the Hadzici area.

The indictment alleges that Mustafa Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember are charged with having participated, in the period from 1992 to 1996, in a systematic joint criminal enterprise within which they committed crimes against Serb civilians and prisoners of war.

According to the charges, the crimes were committed in the “Silos“ building in Tarcin, “9.maj” school building in Pazaric and the warehouse of the “Krupa” military barracks in Zovik.

According to the indictment, Mustafa Djelilovic was during that period president of the Municipal Assembly of Hadzici, President of the Crisis Committee, and, later on, President of the wartime Presidency of Hadzici municipality, Fadil Covic was head of the police station in Hadzici and member of the Crisis Committee, while Mirsad Sabic was Commander of the Police Station in Pazaric.

It further alleges that Becir Hujic was Manager and Deputy Manager of Silos detention camp, just like Halid Covic, while Serif Mesanovic was one of the former camp Deputy Managers and Manager of the detention camp at the warehouse of the “Krupa” military barracks, while Nermin Kalender was a guard at “Silos“.