Kos et al: Stanko Kojic to Testify again

While testifying in his defence on December 9 last year, Kojic said that he came to Branjevo military farm, along with other members of the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, adding that members of the Squad shot at captured Bosniaks, but he did not kill anyone.

Milan Romanic, Defence attorney of indictee Kojic, said that he would use the right to invite his client to testify again. The Trial Chamber accepted the proposal. The indictee will testify at one of the future hearings, depending on availability of other witnesses.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Kojic, Franc Kos, Vlastimir Golijan and Zoran Goronja, with genocide in Srebrenica and 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, and Kojic, Golijan and Goronja, members of that Squad, jointly shot prisoners, some of whom were tied and blindfolded.

At this hearing the Defence of the second indictee presented seven pieces of material evidence, most of which were related to the happenings in Srebrenica in July 1995.

“We are presenting an UNPROFOR report about the number of refugees, who came to Tuzla. The report says that there were more than 35,000 refugees. Therefore, about 1,600 persons from Srebrenica were missing. By this piece of evidence, we are proving that the allegation that eight thousand Srebrenica residents went missing is not true,” Slobodan Peric, additional attorney of Kojic, said, presenting the mentioned piece of evidence.

Also, the Defence presented a book titled “The Massacre in Srebrenica” authored by Edvard Herman, saying that this piece of evidence confirmed the thesis that “genocide was not committed in Srebrenica and that indictee Kojic had nothing to do with it”.

Slavko Asceric, Defence attorney of indictee Goronja, told the Trial Chamber that his client gave him a statement and that he wanted the statement to be read in the courtroom. The Chamber said that the statement would not be read, but the indictee could testify if he wanted to.

“My client has given me a statement and asked me to read it. This is the only way he can give a statement, because he does not want to testify. He does not want to be questioned. He cannot bear it. In case the Court rejects this proposal, I will give up on reading my client’s statement,” Defence attorney Asceric said.

The next hearing is due to be held on April 10 this year, when the Defence of Kojic will examine new witnesses and the Defence of Kos will present new pieces of material evidence.