Local Justice – Markovic: Material Evidence

Mirza Hukeljic, Prosecutor with the District Prosecution in Eastern Sarajevo, presented death certificates for Osman Ibrahimovic, who died on August 1, 1992, and Osmo Ibrahimovic, who died on December 15, 1996.

The Prosecution charges Markovic, former member of a unit with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS in Han Pijesak, with having beaten up and physically abused detained civilians in Sokolac municipality from June 1992 to March 1993.

The indictment alleges that Markovic abused Osmo Ibrahimovic, known as Kaba, in the premises of “Petar Kocic” school building in Cavarine village.

A statement given by Bajro Kundak to SIPA members in January 2007 was included in the case file as well.

Testifying before the District Court last year, Kundak said that he was beaten up in the school building in Sokolac in June 1992, adding that he found out that the person, who beat him up, was indictee Milan Markovic. In his statement given in 2007 he said that he had known the indictee from before and that the blindfold fell down while he was beaten up, so he could see that Markovic was the person hitting him.

The indictment alleges that Markovic beat Bajro Kundak up in “Slavisa Vajner Cica” school building in Sokolac in late June 1992.

The Defence of indictee Markovic did not comment the Prosecution’s material evidence, saying that it would express its opinion about each piece of evidence in its closing statement.

It was planned that the statements of two witnesses, who have since died, would be read as part of the presentation of the Prosecution’s evidence.

The trial is due to continue on May 22, when five Defence witnesses will be examined.

A.S.