Karadzic: Turks from Srebrenica Defeated

“We have defeated the Turks in Podrinje…If the British, Ukrainians and now also the Dutch were not protecting them in Srebrenica, they would have disappeared from this area a long time ago,” Mladic said during the video, while driving Milan Lesic, a Canadian of Serbian origin, who had come to Republika Srpska, RS to bring financial and material aid, in the vicinity of Han Pijesak.Lesic, who testified for the Prosecution at this hearing, made recordings of his ten meetings with Mladic, Karadzic and other RS officials, which took place in Belgrade, Pale and the VRS Command in Han Pijesak in the period from 1992 to 1995.A recording, depicting general Mladic, which was made by Lesic in the Military Medical Academy premises in Belgrade on July 16, 1995, was played in the courtroom. The recording was taken when Serbs from Canada donated “a scanner” to the Academy.The indictment charges Karadzic and Mladic with genocide against more than 7,000 Bosniaks from Srebrenica in the days that followed the occupation of the enclave by the VRS on July 11, 1995. Mass shooting of Bosniak men in the vicinity of Zvornik was underway, while Lesic was making the recording.Karadzic, former President of RS and Supreme Commander of VRS, is charged with the persecution of Bosniaks and Croats throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, terror against civilians in Sarajevo by long-lasting shelling and sniping and taking members of international peace forces hostages in the period from 1992 to 1995.The video recording depicts Mladic issuing orders to subordinate officers over the phone.“What is the situation like up there, at Vinko’s? Never mind. You continue working full steam, maximal security,” Mladic told his interlocutor, most probably referring to Vinko Pandurevic, the then Commander of the Zvornik Brigade of VRS.In 2010 the Tribunal sentenced Pandurevic to 13 years in prison for assisting in and supporting the commission of murders and persecution of Bosniaks from Srebrenica.The video recording further depicts Mladic issuing an instruction to “go to Zepa” and “pen fire at NATO”. “Do not wait for orders. As soon as they enter the air space, destroy them. We do not care if they are Turks or somebody else…” Mladic told one of his subordinates.In addition, the Prosecutors played a recording made by Lesic on the following day, July 17, 1995. The recording was made in the premises of the VRS Command in Crna rijeka, near Han-Pijesak. Thanking Serbs from Canada for their help, Mladic said: “You have come here in a difficult moment, while our army is conducting fierce battles in the Zepa surroundings. I hope that Zepa will be solved in the same way as Srebrenica…I congratulate you on the liberation of Srebrenica, which has been important for the Serbian people since the rebellion against Dahias, when Turks from Srebrenica killed Serbs in Macva”.Photographs taken by Lesic in front of the Main Headquarters of VRS in Crna rijeka on July 18, 1995 were included as evidence too. One of the photographs depicts general Mladic and Momcilo Perisic, the then Chief of the General Headquarters of the Yugoslav Army.Last year the Tribunal pronounced a first instance verdict, sentencing Perisic to 27 years in prison for assisting in and supporting the commission of crimes in Srebrenica and Sarajevo in the period from 1993 to 1995.At the end of the examination the prosecutors wanted to question Lesic about his meetings with Mladic and Karadzic in 2001, when they were already on the run. Those meetings were photographed as well.The Trial Chamber did not allow the prosecutors to do it, accepting an objection filed by Karadzic’s legal counselor Peter Robinson, who said that the subject was not relevant for this trial.While being cross-examined by Karadzic, who is representing himself at this trial, Lesic said that he “cannot remember” that “some murders” were discussed during his meeting with Mladic in mid July 1995.When asked if he “noticed any chauvinism against Muslims and Croats among the Bosnian Serb leaders”, the witness answered negatively, adding that his hosts told him that “some Muslims and Croats are were crossing on our side”.Commenting on the recording, depicting Mladic saying that “we have defeated Turks in Podrinje”, Karadzic said that the VRS Commander was “bragging and exaggerating”.Following the examination of Lesic, the trial of Karadzic continued with a testimony by Ljubomir Obradovic, former VRS general, who spoke about the structure of the VRS Main Headquarters.R.M.