Sentence in Accordance with Law Requested

Presenting his closing statement at the trial for crimes committed in Kotor-Varos, the Prosecutor says that it has been proved that the indictees participated in an attack on Serdari village, requesting the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to “sentence them in accordance with the law”.

State Prosecutor Dragan Corlija said that local residents of Serdari village organised themselves by “keeping guard” during 1992, but it could not be considered a military organisation. 

“Court expert Dragomir Keserovic said that Serdari were outside the zone caught in combat activities. They were not defended. Most of the people in the village were civilians,” the Prosecutor said. 

According to the charges, the attack on Serdari village happened on September 17, 1992, when 16 Serb civilians were killed. Fikret Planincic, Rasim Lisancic, Sead Menzil and Mirsad Vatrac, who, as alleged under the indictment, were former members of the Territorial Defence in Kotor-Varos, are on trial for having participated in this attack. 

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina said that numerous witnesses, including Gina Kukric, confirmed that the indictees participated in the attack.

“She recognised Menzil, who was dressed in camouflage uniform, and Vatrac, who had a gun, in Serdari. She said that Lisancic put a knife on her throat, asking her to tell him who had killed his sister,” the Prosecutor said.

As he said, the witness saw some other accomplices in Serdari. She did not know their names, but she recognised them on photographs. 

“Fikret Planincic is one of those persons. The witness recognised him on a photograph shown to her during an examination at the Embassy in Belgrade in 2011,” the Prosecutor said, adding that the witness recognised Lisancic, Vatrac and Menzil in the courtroom, but she did not recognise Planincic.

“This is understandable, because Planincic’s physical appearance has changed a lot, according to statements by other witnesses,” the Prosecutor said.

In his closing statement he also mentioned the testimony by Radmila Serdar, who recognised Fikret Planincic by his voice, although she did not see his face, while lying in her house after having been wounded on September 17, 1992.

The Prosecutor also pointed to the testimony by Jasmin Alekic, who said that Mirsad Vatrac volunteered to participate in the attack. As explained by the Prosecutor, Alekic saw both Vatrac and Planincic in Tesici village after the attack.

“Vatrac and Planincic were at the entrance to Kesici village. Vatrac had a gun and said that he found it on some couch in Serdari village, while Planincic was sitting down, holding a gun in his hands,” Corlija said.

The trial is due to continue on December 3, when the Defence will present its closing statement.