Planincic et al: Call for Withdrawal

Joco Serdar said that he was in his house in Serdari village, Kotor-Varos municipality, on September 17, 1992, when he heard bursts of gunfire.

Serdar said that he took a rifle and went outside of his house, adding that he then heard the voice of indictee Fikret Planincic.

“I heard him ask the soldiers where they were. They said that they were next to the stable,” the witness said.

According to Serdar, a short time later he saw around fifteen soldiers about 100 metres away from him. He then saw and heard indictee Planincic call for the withdrawal of the Army.

Serdar said that 16 people were killed on that day and that houses and barns were set on fire.

According to the charges, 16 Serb civilians were killed in an attack on Serdari village on September 17, 1992. Fikret Planincic, Rasim Lisancic, Sead Menzil and Mirsad Vatrac, former members of the Territorial Defence in Kotor-Varos, are on trial for participating in this attack.

Second Prosecution witness Kemal Smajic said that he did not remember the attack on Serdari village and that he did not remember the statement he gave to the District Prosecution in Banja Luka in late 2010.

“I was drunk, because I always drink. They could have told me that I killed six people and I would not know if it was true,” the witness said.

Adil Draganovic, Defence attorney of indictee Sead Menzil, told the Trial Chamber that the witness was an alcoholic and that it was not known whether he was capable of testifying.

The trial is due to continue on April 17, 2012.
M.B.