Material Evidence Against Cvetkovic
This post is also available in: Bosnian
Prosecutor Dubravko Campara read a statement of former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic during a session of the Republika Srpska Assembly on February 25, 1992, in which he said that the Serb people is seeking what they had at the time of the Nemanjic dynasty, essentially full separation from the other two big ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Prosecution believes that this evidence is relevant, because Cvetkovic is charged with the criminal act of genocide, while the Defence claimed that the minutes were irrelevant, since the accused did not attend the session.
Karadzic is on trial at The Hague for genocide in Srebrenica and seven other municipalities, persecution of non-Serb population, terrorising Sarajevo citizens and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.
The Bosnian Prosecution charges Cvetkovic, former member of the Tenth Reconnaissance Section of the Bosnian Serb army, of taking part in the murder of at least 900 Srebrenica residents in the Military compound of Branjevo on July 16, 1995.
The Defence also objected to the relevancy of the First Bratunac Brigade report about the enclaves of Srebrenica, Zepa and Gorazde, and the directives of the Drina corps to ban the import of food to Srebrenica.
The Bosnian Prosecution said it believes these material evidence are relevant since the defendant was a member of the Bosnian Serb army which had, as one of its goals, to “make the enemy’s life difficult”.
Lawyer Petko Pavlovic also objected to introducing Cvetkovic’s statement into evidence, which was given to investigators of the International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia, ICTY in 2005.
“The statement was taken from the suspect without the presence of a lawyer and though pressure”, said Pavolovic.
Prosecutor Campara said that according to the rules of the ICTY, investigators can question a person without presence of a lawyer, if the person relinquishes this right.
The Prosecution introduced 50 pieces of evidence at this hearing.
The Trial Chamber will make a decision on the Defence objections at the next hearing, scheduled for March 11.
