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Kos et al: No Genocidal Intent

18. January 2012.00:00
At the trial for genocide in Srebrenica, the Defence of second indictee Stanko Kojic included material evidence which are mainly related to the activities of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABiH) in Srebrenica in 1995.

This post is also available in: Bosnian

The Defence of indictee Kojic introduced four pieces of material evidence, after the witness who was supposed to testify at the hearing, failed to appear.

Slobodan Peric, an additional defence attorney of Kojic, presented two reports regarding the state of moral in the 28th Division of the ABiH, which were made in June 1995, and by which, as he said at the hearing, he wants to prove that soldiers of the ABiH were committing sabotage.

The Defence also presented the Report of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska (MUP RS) Bijeljina, made on July 13, 1995, in which the Public Safety Centre (CJB) Zvornik informed about the movements of members of the 28th Division of the ABiH.

“We connect this evidence with the testimony regarding the movement of the column which went from Srebrenica to Tuzla, and that the aim of the forces of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) was to stop the armed forces of the ABiH”, said Peric.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Kojic, together with Franc Kos, Vlastimir Golijan and Zoran Goronja with genocide in Srebrenica by participating in the murder of more than 800 men and boys on Branjevo military farm in July 1995.

According to the charges, Kos, former Commander of the First Unit with the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad of the VRS Main Headquarters, Kojic, Golijan and Goronja, members of that Squad, jointly shot prisoners, some of whom were tied and blindfolded.

The last evidence presented by Kojic’s Defence was the order of Milenko Zivanovic, Commander of the Drina Corps of the VRS, dated July 13, 1995.

“It is an order which aims to provide guidance regarding the stopping of the column which is going towards the territory controlled by the ABiH. By this, the Defence wants to prove that the order had a military character and that there were no genocidal intents”, said defense attorney Peric.

Dusko Tomic, defense counsel of first indictee Kos, proposed to the Trial Chamber to request from The Hague Tribunal the diaries of Dragomir Pecanac, a former officer for security and intelligence with the Headquarters of the VRS, saying that they are “essential for the process”.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina said they will also try to obtain Pecanac’s diary.

The next hearing is scheduled for January 24, 2012. S.U.

This post is also available in: Bosnian