Indictees Testify
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The status conference was held once the presentation of State Prosecutions evidence had been completed with presentation of objections to Prosecutions material evidence.
Memics Defence attorney Safet Medosevic proposed that Alispago, former Commander of the Zulfikar Squad and Nihad Bojadzic, his former Deputy, be examined as witnesses, among others.
Memic, Salcin and Bojadzic, are on trial, along with Zulfikar Alispago, Nedzad Hodzic and Senad Hakalovic, for having participated in an attack on Trusina village on April 16, 1993, when 18 civilians and four members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO were killed.
The Trial Chamber decided that the indictees could not be invited to testify, but it said that they could be examined in case they decide to testify in their own defence.
Besides the possibility that the indictee might appear as a witness, the Defence of Bojadzic announced that it would examine 40 witnesses, while the Defence of Alispago submitted a list of 145 witnesses. However, Trial Chamber Chairwoman Zeljka Marenic said that she would not accept witnesses who were not relevant for this trial, ordering the Defence to further define the list within the next 15 days.
Midhat Koco, Defence attorney of Nedzad Hodzic, former member of the Zulfikar Squad, announced the examination of a few witnesses, who would speak about the events in Trusina, proposing that a team of medical expert witnesses be engaged with the aim of putting an end to doubts regarding the indictees capability to follow the trial.
Appearing at the trial in January 2011, medical expert witness Omer Cemalovic said that Hodzic was capable of following the trial.
Kadrija Kolic, Defence attorney of Senad Hakalovic, former member of Neretvica Brigade, announced the examination of 18 witnesses and two expert witnesses.
As said by Defence attorney Kerim Celik, the Defence of indictee Salcin would not invite any witnesses.
Salcin will be examined as a witness, he said.
During the presentation of evidence, which has lasted almost two and a half years, the Prosecution has examined nearly 80 witnesses and included about 350 documents in the case file.
The trial is due to continue on March 18, when indictee Memic will be examined.
