Local Justice Lavrnic: Verdict Due October 23
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Presenting his closing statement, Cantonal Prosecutor Jasmin Mesic said that the material evidence and witnesses statements undoubtedly indicate that indictee Ratko Lavrnic committed the murder of innocent people.
On the other hand, Defence attorney Cvjetin Adamovic said that the Prosecution had not proved his clients guilt at all.
Lavrnic is charged with having killed Ramiza Adzemovic, Fatima and Hata Risovic and wounded Ejub Cenanovic in Rejzovici hamlet, Kljuc on February 10, 1993.
Prior to presentation of closing statements, indictee Lavrnic, his wife Marica and three former members of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS testified in defence of the indictee.
During his testimony Lavrnic said that he was innocent, claiming that he and his Bosniak neighbours were close in 1993 and that he personally knew some of the killed people.
It was not until 2010, when the criminal proceeding was initiated, that I got the first pieces of information about the events in Rejzovici and the murder of the women, Lavrnic said.
The indictees wife Marica Lavrnic said that the indictee was mobilised on January 9, 1993, when he was taken by military policemen from a market place. He said that he was then taken to the frontline. He returned from the battlefield at the beginning of February 1993, when he told her that he had been at the battlefields in Bihac and Zvornik.
Ratko did not wear military uniform, Marica Lavrnic said.
Todo Katic, Mile Jovanic and Zdravko Pecanac testified in defence of the indictee at this hearing. They confirmed that they used to see the indictee at battlefields in Grabez and Milici in January and February 1993.
As they said, the indictee was in charge of logistics, or more precisely food distribution.
