Kornjaca et al: Hit by Indictee

The State Prosecution read the statement given by witness Safet Tanjo to the Prosecution in 2011, because the witness was not able to testify before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina due to health problems.

State Prosecutor Dzevad Muratbegovic said that, in his statement the witness said that he lived in Gorazde municipality at the beginning of the war, adding that he was stopped at Mostina on his way to Cajnice.

The witness’ statement says that he came to Mostina with a Serb called Bato, whom Serb soldiers locked in metal container, while indictee Milun Kornjaca hit the witness on his back with an automatic rifle butt.

“Bato and I were sitting in a cafe at Mostina, when I saw Milun Kornjaca and two other soldiers, hitting somebody. (…) When we came out of the cafe, Kornjaca hit me on my back. I heard his voice. When the beating stopped, I saw him standing behind me. They then put me into the container,” said Muratbegovic, reading witness Tanjo’s statement.

Besides Kornjaca, the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Milorad Zivkovic and Dusko Tadic with the persecution of Bosniaks from the Cajnice area and the murder of 11 civilians at Mostina on May 19, 1992.

The indictment alleges that Kornjaca was Commander of the “Plavi orlovi” (blue eagles) paramilitary unit, Tadic was member of that unit and Zivkovic was Chief of the Public Safety Station in Cajnice and member of the crisis committee of Cajnice municipality.

As indicated in his statement, witness Tanjo said that, apart from Bato, all other detainees, who were held in the container at Mostina, were Muslims.

“Dusko Kornjaca invited me to come out of the container later on. Milun Kornjaca ordered two soldiers to take me to the cafe. Later on a soldier took me to Dusko Kornjaca’s car, which was parked on the side of the road. Dusko Kornjaca then drove me and one more person to Cajnice,” the witness said.

In his statement the witness said that, after having spent 15 days in Gorazde, he left Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kornjaca on one hand and Zivkovic and Tadic on the other are on separate trials before the State Court, but joint witnesses are examined at the same hearings due to the better efficiency of proceedings.

Indictee Kornjaca failed to appear at this hearing. His Defence attorney Milan Romanic said that the indictee thought that certain medical examinations should be undertaken and that he would not attend the trial until the examinations had been completed.

“A court expert has determined that the indictee is capable of following the trial. (…) We shall send him a warning and inform him that we shall continue the trial in his absence, but in the presence of his Defence attorney,” said Darko Samardzic, Chairman of the Trial Chamber with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to the official schedule of trials before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the next hearing is due to be held on February 27 this year.