Victims from Tomasica among Evidence against Mladic

Prosecutor Dermot Groome says at Ratko Mladic’s trial that the remains of 470 persons were found in a mass grave in Tomasica mine, announcing that he will present evidence about it in the spring, once the exhumation has been completed.

Groome said that the presentation of evidence against general Mladic, which began in July last year, would be completed in two weeks. 

However, he said that he would request reopening of the evidence presentation in February next year, so he could present evidence found in Tomasica mass grave in March.

According to the Prosecutor, snow and the lack of resources are making the exhumation more difficult.

The evidence from Tomasica refers to the first count, which, as Prosecutor Groome said, charged Mladic with genocide against Muslims and Croats in seven municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Prosecutor specified that five out of 12 bodies from Tomasica, which have been identified so far, were directly linked to the charges against general Mladic.   

He reminded the Tribunal that Mladic himself mentioned 5,000 bodies in relation to Tomasica in one of his wartime diaries.

At the same time Mladic’s Defence attorney Branko Lukic requested the Tribunal to let the Defence have six months to prepare for the presentation of evidence following the completion of the presentation of Prosecution’s evidence.

The Trial Chamber previously informed Mladic’s Defence attorneys that they should be ready to begin presenting evidence in late February or at the beginning of March.

“We can not prepare the case in less than six months after the last Prosecution’s witness has testified,” Lukic said.  

Mladic’s Defence plans to present about 160 witnesses, just like the Prosecution.
Attorney Lukic warned the Tribunal that Mladic’s Defence team was ready to withdraw from the case unless the Trial Chamber allowed it the requested time for preparation.

“We are ready to withdraw from the case. We are not ready to defend general Mladic in an inadequate manner,” Lukic said.

The Trial Chamber will render a decision concerning the Defence’s requests at a later stage.

At the beginning of the hearing today the Trial Chamber heard an additional statement by Prosecution’s investigator Barry Hogan about maps, depicting the front lines around Sarajevo in the period from 1992 to 1995.

The trial against Mladic is due to continue tomorrow, November 28, not with testimony by a new Prosecution’s witness, who is still not ready, but with a brief administrative discussion.

Mladic, former VRS Commander, is also charged with genocide in Srebrenica, terror against civilians in Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.