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On the basis of statements by witnesses and eye-witnesses, in 2001 and 2006 Hague Prosecution investigator Hogan made video recordings and panoramic photographs of locations where civilians were killed in Sarajevo. By presenting the recordings and photographs, the prosecutors tried to prove that the locations, where civilians were killed, could be seen from VRS positions from which, according to the charges, fire was opened.
Mladic’s Defence attorney Branko Lukic used the same photographs and recordings to prove that the locations, where civilians were shot, could also be seen from nearby positions held by the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Among other things, Lukic suggested that the balcony in Pita family house in Sirokaca neighbourhood, Sarajevo, where their three-year old daughter Anisa was wounded by a bullet on December 13, 1992, could be seen from a nearby cemetery, which was controlled by the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Hogan confirmed that the cemetery, where Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina units were present, was situated between the house and Baba Stijena elevation from which, according to the charges, VRS forces opened fire at the girl. However, he said that the spot at which Anisa Pita was standing, when she was wounded, could not be seen from the cemetery.
Ratko Mladic, former Commander of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, is charged with the persecution of Bosniaks and Croats throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, which reached the scale of genocide in seven municipalities, genocide in Srebrenica, terror against local population in Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.
Defence attorney Lukic used a similar argument when speaking about Munira Zametica, who was killed by a sniper bullet, while fetching water in Dobrinja on July 11, 1993. Contrary to the allegations that the bullet was fired from a VRS observation position on the bell tower of an Orthodox church under construction, Lukic drew the witness’ attention to the fact that “all the surrounding buildings were under the control of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
Hogan responded by saying that “it is not true” and that “a part of one of the buildings was on the VRS territory”. Hogan confirmed that the church was 1,100 metres away from the place, where Zametica was killed. When asked if he knew that an Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina position was located on the bridge, next to which Zametica was fetching water, the witness answered negatively.
Responding to an allegation that predominantly Muslim forces were shooting towards VRS positions from the bridge for “half an hour”, Hogan said that they it was done for the purpose of “evacuating the body” of late Zametica.
Mladic’s Defence attorney asked Hogan if the place, where seven-year old Nermin Divovic was killed and his mother Dzenana Sokolovic wounded on November 18, 1994, was close to the National Museum in the Sarajevo downtown area.
“Yes, it was close to the museum parking lot,” Hogan said. The place was shown to him by Sokolovic in 2006. Mladic’s Defence previously suggested, on several occasions, that Muslim forces shot at their own citizens from the Museum building.
The trial of Mladic is due to continue on Thursday, October 3.
