Dzeko Carried Wounded Comrades

Witness Irfan Maslesa, former member of “Zulfikar” Squad with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that, following his wounding, he visited his comrade nicknamed Koka.

“He told me that he was severely wounded and that he was carried by some men, including Dzeko. He said that they carried him to a car for two or three hours,” said Maslesa, testifying in defence of Dzeko.

He explained that the group of soldiers to which he belonged went from Bradina to Homolj in order to participate in a military operation, while Dzeko was among a second group of soldiers led by Samko, who died after having been wounded in Trusina.

According to earlier statements by witnesses, the shooting of six Croats in Trusina, which is charged, among other things, upon Dzeko, former member of the “Zulfikar” Unit of ABiH, happened after the wounding.

Witness Maslesa said that a part of “Zulfikar” Squad went to Jablanica and that they were accommodated in the Rogica houses. As he said, besides them, other units, like “Jackie’s” and “Walter’s” men were accommodated in Rogica houses as well.

Maslesa said that Dzeko was not present in the Squad base, but he stayed in an apartment in Jablanica. He said that he did not see any prisoners in Rogica houses, because he was “in the field all the time.”

Dzeko is charged with crimes against Croat civilians and prisoners in Jablanica in the second half of 1993. 

Second Defence witness Miralem Muratovic confirmed that his recording had been previously played in the courtroom. The mentioned recording depicted a TV crew from Italy speaking to Croats, who were detained in “The Battle of Neretva” Museum in Jablanica.

Muratovic, who used to work as a cameraman with the ABiH, said that the Italians made the footage in September 1993 and that he too recorded it using his camera. He said that the footage was then broadcast on a local TV station.

The trial is due to continue on October 29.