Fearing the Indictee
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Witness Kadira Ramic said that she was in her neighbour Camil Ramics house, along with her children, in Hranca village, Bratunac municipality in May 1992, adding that her husband joined them later on.
According to the witness, indictee Najdan Mladjenovic was among the soldiers who came to the house. She said that he had a black mask on his face, but she recognised him by his voice and stature.
The witness told the Court that the soldiers took her husband Sacir and Osman Ramic out of the house and began beating them. Some time later she left the house in order to bring water for her children.
I heard somebody saying through a walkie-talkie: Commander, we have captured a group of Muslims. Where shall we take them? In response to that, Najdan said that they should take civilians to the road, Kadira Ramic said.
As she said, she addressed Mladjenovic, asking him to spare her husband and offering to give him a revolver in turn.
Najdan and another guy pushed me to my house, so I could give them the revolver. I gave it to them. I left the house and then they left too. The house began burning after that, the witness said.
She said that, when she returned to Camil Ramics house, she saw that her husband and Osman Ramic were dead.
Najdan Mladjenovic and Savo Zivkovic, former members of the Territorial Defence in Bratunac, are charged with having participated in crimes against the non-Serb population in Hranca and Glogova, where several tens of civilians were killed, while their property was pillaged and set on fire.
When asked by the Prosecution why she failed to mention indictee Mladjenovic in her statements given before the Tuzla Cantonal Court in 1998 and State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA in 2008, witness Ramic said that she was afraid of the indictee.
I was afraid for myself and my children. I did not dare say anything because Mladjenovic was at liberty at the time, Ramic explained.
Prosecutor Ozrenka Neskovic told the Court that the brother of Mladjenovics wife called Kadira Ramics son, who lived in Bratunac, a few days ago.
He told him that he knew that his mother would testify in court and that he proposed to her not to change her previous statements, the Prosecutor said.
The trial is due to continue on March 19.
