Bosnian Serb ‘Blue Eagles’ Paramilitary Demands Acquittal

Milun Kornjaca’s defence said in its closing arguments at the Sarajevo court on Wednesday that the defendant should be acquitted of the charges, insisting that he was innocent of war crimes.

His lawyer, Milana Borovcanin-Bulic, said that the prosecution failed to prove the existence of the ‘Plavi Orlovi’ (‘Blue Eagles’) paramilitary unit or to establish that the defendant was its commander.

“The status of the unit remained unexplained,” Borovcanin-Bulic said.

“[The claim] that the defendant was the commander of the unit… was arbitrary, according to the witness testimonies. There were no official documents,” she added.

Kornjaca is charged, as commander of the paramilitary unit Blue Eagles, with taking part in a wide-ranging and systematic attack on the population of Cajnic from April to the end of May 1992, which resulted in “the detention of Bosniaks, killings, forced relocations, torture and other inhumane acts”.

He also charged with participating in the killings of 28 imprisoned civilians in the ‘Lovacki Dom’ (Hunting Lodge) in Mostina in May 1992.

According to the prosecution, civilians were detained in a metal container, in unsanitary conditions, with a lack of fresh air, food and water, and were interrogated and abused.

“Setting up the metal container in Mostina was not ordered by Milun Kornjaca, but by the [Bosnian Serb] political authorities. Kornjaca did not have any power in Mostina,” argued Borovcanin-Bulic.

She also said that the defendant testified that he did not issue any orders for detentions in Mostina, and that he did not beat, torture or kill people.

She said that the prosecution failed to prove that there was a wide-ranging and systematic attack, or that the attack was directed against Bosniak civilians, or that the acts of the defendant were committed as a part of a joint criminal enterprise.

“He was an ordinary soldier… He was semi-literate villager who liked to have fun… Because of his avoidance of military training, we can conclude that he is a peaceful person, not a war criminal,” said Borovcanin-Bulic.

Kornjaca will give his closing statement on April 16.