Karadzic: Accusations against SDA in Vlasenica
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Jovanovic, former Chief of the Information Centre with the Vlasenica Brigade and then also the Drina Corps of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, accused Muslims led by the Party of Democratic Action, SDA for the breakout of the war and for crimes against Serbs in Vlasenica municipality.
The witness said that, in August 1991 Muslims began arming themselves and organising paramilitary formations with the aim of implementing their plans for destruction of buildings in the town and the murder and capture of prominent civilians.
Their aim was to destruct everything that belonged to Serbs in Vlasenica, Jovanovic said.
As he said, in response to those activities, the Serb Territorial Defence came down from the surrounding villages and occupied the town in April 1992, but nobody was killed. He said that Muslims then handed over 2,000 pieces of weapons.
The witness said that negotiations with the Muslims side about the division of the municipality got stuck at discussions about territories.
Most part of his testimony was dedicated to the murder of Serbs in Vlasenica villages in the summer of 1992.
The witness confirmed that he visited the reception centre in Susica several times, when he took cigarettes to his Muslim friends. He said that they told him that the conditions were not bad, because nobody harassed them.
During the cross-examination prosecutors confronted Jovanovic with the fact that Dragan Nikolic, former Chief of Security in Susica, admitted guilt, before The Hague Tribunal, for multiple murders, rape and abuse of Muslim detainees in Susica detention camp and that he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
At that time I did not hear about any of those things. I did not hear about them at that time nor later… Nikolic did not tell me about it, the witness said.
When the Prosecutor quoted a statement by a female witness, who said that he watched her being raped in Susica, Jovanovic said that this was a notorious lie.
Prior to Jovanovics testimony Italian doctor Mario Andolina confirmed that Karadzic enabled him to provide medical assistance to sick children irrespective of their ethnicity during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As he said, he met Karadzic between four and seven times. He got an impression that the Serb tried to limit the wartime suffering of civilians from all ethnic groups.
He said that, thanks to Karadzics support, he managed to save a few childrens lives.
When the Prosecutor suggested that Karadzics authorities used him as a propaganda instrument, the witness said: I do not know if I could say that for propaganda But, I helped them convey the best image of themselves to the world.
The trial of Karadzic, who is also charged with genocide in Srebrenica and seven other municipalities, terror against civilians in Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage, is due to continue on February 26.
