Suggestions of Crimes in Srebrenica

As the trial of Ratko Mladic continues, The Hague Prosecution’s military expert Richard Butler says, during the cross-examination, that he has never come across a document in which the indictee ordered the murders committed in Srebrenica in July 1995.

Mladic’s Defence attorney Dragan Ivetic suggested that Butler, who presented, last week, a chronology of the Srebrenica operation conducted by the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, including the execution of thousands of captured Bosniaks in July 1995, was biased, considering the fact that he used to work for The Hague Prosecution.

Butler denied the suggestion, pointing out that the Hague Tribunal would assess the objectivity of his report.

When asked by Ivetic whether he had seen any documents signed by Mladic, in which crimes in Srebrenica were ordered, Butler said: “I have not come across any documents in which Mladic ordered the execution of captives.”

However, he alluded to Mladic’s order issued in the autumn of 1995, requesting that fuel be obtained for transferring the remains of Srebrenica victims from primary to secondary graves, which, in his opinion, “suggested a crime”.

Mladic, former Commander of VRS, is charged with genocide against about 7,000 Bosniaks from Srebrenica committed in the days after the VRS had occupied the United Nations, UN protected enclave on July 11, 1995. Besides that, the indictment charges Mladic with the persecution of Bosniaks and Croats throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, which reached the scale of genocide in seven municipalities, terror against civilians in Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.

Defence attorney Ivetic tried to undermine Butler’s credibility by suggesting that Butler, who was an Intelligence Officer with the Army of the United States of America, USA, was “seconded” to The Hague Tribunal as a military analyst for the purpose of an investigation into Srebrenica crimes, in the late 1990s.

While confirming this allegation, Butler, however, said that, at that time he received all his tasks from the Prosecution, not from the U.S. Army, which, as he pointed out, did not play any role in his report about Srebrenica later on.

When Ivetic said that he only analysed the documents sent to him by prosecutors, the military expert said that, although numerous other documents were later discovered, “no alternative version of the events in Srebrenica and the VRS role in them”, which would show that his report was not valid, appeared.

Butler’s testimony continued in the presence of indictee Mladic, who said, at the two previous hearings, that he was not capable of participating in the process due to illness. Mladic appeared in the courtroom following a decision made by the Trial Chamber on Tuesday, September 10. In the mentioned decision the Chamber said, on the basis of medical findings, that the indictee was capable of attending the trial.  
 
Mladic’s health condition was not discussed in the courtroom, but presiding judge Alphons Orie reminded the parties that it was up to the Appellate Chamber to decide whether the working week would be reduced from five to four days at a request by the Defence and as per doctors’ recommendation. The Trial Chamber previously rejected such requests twice. The Defence appealed the Chamber’s decision.

Mladic’s Defence attorney is due to continue cross-examining Butler on Thursday, September 12.