Edin Dzeko not Present During Incident

A Defence witness says that indictee Edin Dzeko was not present when Ramiz Delalic hit a Croat prisoner and then “fired a bullet” to his leg in Jablanica in September 1993.

“I was present there. I am sure that he was not there. I stand firmly behind my words,” said witness Erdin Arnautovic, former member of a brigade with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, which was commanded by Ramiz Delalic, known as Celo.

The witness said that one of his comrades was killed and the other lost his leg, which upset Delalic with whom he was close.

Arnautovic explained that a member of the “Zulfikar” Unit of ABiH approached Delalic and said that they had a prisoner, who participated in the combat in which two soldiers were killed and injured.

According to the witness’ testimony, Delalic approached the prisoner and asked him: “Why did you kill him from behind?” At some point he heard the prisoner say: “I am a soldier too”. As he said, he then hit him and fired a bullet to his leg.

The witness said that this happened in front of a stable near the Headquarters in Jablanica, where he came with Delalic who was killed in 2007. Although the witness did not specify where the Headquarters was located, it is known that it was located in the Rogica houses in Donja Jablanica, where the “Zulfikar” Unit Base was situated.

Dzeko, former member of “Zulfikar” Unit, is charged with crimes against Croat prisoners and civilians in Jablanica in the second half of 1993. He is also charged with murders in Trusina village, near Konjic, on April 16, 1993.

The trial is due to continue on Tuesday, November 5.