Surrenders and Incidents

Renovica failed to appear at this hearing, so his statement was read with the Defence’s consent.

Witnesses Tomislav Krstovic and Jovan Todorovic did not appear at the hearing either. The Prosecutor gave up their examination considering the fact that the two of them did not say anything about the crimes charged upon the indictee during the investigation.

In his statement Renovica said that he joined the Training Centre with the Special Brigade of Republika Srpska police on Mount Jahorina in May or June 1995 as one of the instructors, adding that he met indictee Radojkovic, who too was an instructor and Commander of a squad with the Second Company.

He further said that, in July 1995 members of his Company were deployed to the road between Konjevic Polje and Bratunac in order to guard it and that they stayed there between four and seven days.

“Our people covered the distance of about two kilometres. We, the instructors, were with them. We knew that some people were hiding in nearby forests. The situation was mostly quiet during the day, but exchange of fire happened in the evening hours. Fire was opened out of fear and not because there was a real need for that,” Renovica said.

He said that a grenade was thrown once, wounding one member of his Squad. As he said, this led to a serious exchange of fire between them and the people hiding in the woods.

“Two people were killed in the exchange of fire. They remained lying on the side of the road. A few hours later the dead were loaded onto a truck on which some other dead bodies had already been,” Renovica said, adding that this was the only serious conflict that happened on that part of the road.

The indictment alleges that Radojkovic, who was accompanied by other members of the Third Squad, opened fire at six or seven Bosniaks, who had the intention to surrender. One person was allegedly wounded on that occasion.

It is further alleged that this person was left lying in a trench beside the road without any medical assistance. The indictee allegedly killed him from his rifle a few hours later.

In his statement, Renovica spoke about the surrender of groups of civilians who had been hiding in the woods. He mentioned that he personally participated in negotiations, when between 1,000 and 1,500 men, who were dressed in civil clothes, surrendered to his squad.

“Those men were searched. Their weapons were confiscated. They were then handed over to the Republika Srpska Army,” Renovica said, adding that, as far as he knew, those captives were transported to the Karakaj military barracks, Zvornik municipality.

The trial is due to continue on April 1.