Dzeko: Witness Recalls the Attack

During the examination the Defence made questions related to the credibility of protected witness J-4 and pointed to differences between his statements given during the investigation.

This witness, former member of “Zulfikar” Unit with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, said that he saw that an elderly man in Gaj hamlet had a rare type of revolver.

According to the witness, they went into the house, where the man gave him ammunition for that revolver. As he said, a short time later Dzeko entered the house and took the revolver in order to give it a look.

“He put the revolver on his temple and fired a bullet,” the witness said.

The witness told the Court that he returned to Gaj hamlet, where the captives were lined against a house wall. As he said, he saw Dzeko and Rasema Handanovic, known as Zolja, shooting at them.

According to the witness’ testimony, Handanovic then approached the dead people and “fired a bullet on the foreheads of each of the men”. Handanovic admitted guilt for having participated in the shooting. She was sentenced to five and a half years in prison.

Dzeko, former member of “Zulfikar” Squad, is charged with having participated in the shooting of three civilians and three captured members of the Croatian Defence Council in Trusina village. The Prosecution alleges that he killed two old Croat women and an old Croat man during the attack on the village.

Besides that, he is charged with committing crimes against Croats in Jablanica in the second half of 1993.

Defence attorney Vasvija Vidovic said that the witness was not sure whether Dzeko participated in the shooting.
“I think he did… I am sure now,” he said.

She then read a part of witness’ statement given on January 16, 2012, in which he mentioned that he said, in an earlier statement, that Dzeko shot at the lined captives and that he thought about it a lot in the meantime, adding that he wanted to say that Dzeko was not present in Gaj hamlet.

As read by Defence attorney Vidovic, in the mentioned statement the witness explained that, a short time after the shooting others informed him that Dzeko had driven two wounded comrades away prior to the shooting itself.

“Yes, it is different. One keeps thinking and speaking all the time. I have remembered that he was inside the house and that he killed the man,” the witness said.

Vidovic said that the Defence’s thesis was that this witness actually killed the man in the house.

She then made questions related to the credibility of this witness, calling on his two statements given to the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the investigation. Those statements said that the witness asked to be granted immunity prior to giving a full statement, because of his participation in the attack on Trusina village.

“I did not request immunity from criminal prosecution. I wanted to testify as a protected witness. That is what I meant by immunity,” said witness J-4, who testified in a separate cabin, while his voice and face were altered.

The trial is due to continue on March 5, when a new protected witness will be examined.