Mandic and Plavsic as Witnesses
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Defence attorney Dusko Tomic announced that the Defence would examine nine witnesses and one expert witness, who would conduct an expert examination of the indictee, considering the fact that, as Tomic said, he used to be medically treated in a psychiatric hospital. Also, he said that indictee Zoran Dragicevic would testify in his defence on June 26.
Tomic said that the list of planned witnesses included Momcilo Mandic, former Minister of Justice of Republika Srpska, who had agreed to testify, and Biljana Plavsic, former Republika Srpska President, among others.
Trial Chamber Chairman Zoran Bozic suggested to the Defence attorney that there was no need to invite both of them if they would testify about the same circumstances. Tomic explained that they were expected to testify about events in Sarajevo in general terms, adding that “they should be given a chance”.
“The history of court proceedings should contain a record, saying that they have come here to defend one of their own,” Tomic said.
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina previously acquitted Momcilo Mandic of charges for war crimes, while The Hague Tribunal sentenced Biljana Plavsic to 11 years in prison.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Zoran Dragicevic, known as Krompir, former member of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, with having committed crimes against civilians in Grbavica, Kovacici and Vraca neighbourhoods, Sarajevo, including rape and the sexual abuse of victims, torture, robbing and beating civilians.
Psychiatrist Abdulah Kucukalic was examined as a State Prosecution expert witness. He presented his findings and opinion about witness A-1’s health condition, saying that she showed signs of permanent personality changes as consequence of sexual abuse.
“Each secondary trauma has a negative effect on her health condition. She said that she did not want to testify,” Kucukalic explained.
He told the Court that witness A-1 had told him that the indictee visited her a couple of times during the war and sexually abused her, but he did not mistreat her physically.
The trial is due to continue on June 26.
