Contributed to Murder of Civilians

“By giving an oral order to take the detainees to Mostina and detain them in the container, he contributed to the murder, irrespective of the fact who murdered them. (…) Even if he did not do it himself, he contributed to the murder of the detainees in a decisive manner,” Prosecutor Dzevad Muratbegovic said.
 
He pointed out that the murder of people from Brdo village happened 15 days after the murders in the hunters’ house at Mostina, which were committed by Veljo Tadic, member of “Plavi Orlovi” Unit, which was commanded by indictee Kornjaca.

The Prosecutor particularly pointed to the fact that, while testifying in his defence, Kornjaca said: “As far as my unit is concerned, nobody acted arbitrarily”.

Kornjaca, former Commander of “Plavi Orlovi” Unit, is on trial for having committed crimes in Cajnice in April and May 1992.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Kornjaca with the persecution, beating and torture of Bosniaks, as well as unlawful detention and murder of 11 civilians from Brdo village. Besides that, he is charged with having failed to undertake the measures in order to have the perpetrator of the murder of 27 civilians in the hunters’ house at Mostina punished.

“We consider that he knew that his soldier Veljo Tadic committed the murders in the hunters’ house at Mostina. (…) After having found out about the murders, he should have undertaken measures, in accordance with the regulations and rules of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, in order to punish the perpetrator,” Muratbegovic said.

Muratbegovic mentioned that Kornjaca had the intention to participate in the forced persecution of the non-Serb population from the Cajnice area.

“Only non-Serbs were detained in the metal container and hunters’ house at Mostina. He did not take any single actions that would demonstrate his disagreement with the detention, on the contrary,” Prosecutor Muratbegovic said.

The Prosecutor said that the number of killed and beaten people, as well as the fact that the indictee knew most of the injured parties well, could be considered aggravating circumstances, while the fact that he was a family man, that he had not been sentenced before and that his sanity was reduced were among the mitigating circumstances.

Although the indictee said that he did not want to present his closing statement, his Defence attorney Milana Borovcanin-Bulic said that it was her duty to do it. The Trial Chamber agreed with her. The Defence is due to present its closing statement on March 26.