Long-term Imprisonment for Branko Vlaco Requested

Prosecutor Munib Halilovic said that he considered that the actions charged upon Vlaco had been proved during the evidence presentation process. Halilovic said that the existence of a widespread and systematic attack by the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, against the non-Serb population in the Vogosca area had been proved. The Prosecutor considers that actions within the widespread and systematic attack were a part of actions committed by indictee Vlaco.
 
“This includes non-selective detention of Bosniak civilians, who were separated from other ethnic communities. This was confirmed by Esad and Asim Sehic, Enver Durmo and numerous other witnesses,” Halilovic said, adding that witness SV-7 said that Vlaco also participated in attacks against the non-Serb population.
 
As alleged by the Prosecution, numerous witnesses spoke about their detention in the “Bunker” and “Kod Sonje” detention camps, where indictee Vlaco introduced to them as the Prison Manager. Witness A, Mirsad Prutina, Zeljko Beganovic and Muhamed Ruhotina were among those witnesses. As said by Halilovic, not even the Defence denied this.
 
“The witnesses confirmed that some of them were personally examined by Branko Vlaco and that detainees were abused and held in inhumane conditions. They had to sleep on the concrete floor in ‘Bunker’ detention camp,” Halilovic said.
 
He mentioned that many witnesses spoke about the only woman in “Bunker” – Hata Balesic, who said that she was humiliated, as she had to use a barrel instead of toilet just like the other male detainees.
 
Among other things, the Prosecution said that detainees were subjected to danger and mental torture, while being taken to other locations, where they performed forced labour, including relocation of an air bomb. He said that prisoners Zahid Barucija and Eset Muracevic were abused more than others.
 
The Prosecution considers that it had proved the allegations that tear gas was thrown into “Bunker” detention camp and that indictee Vlaco opened the door for the detainees, that nineteen-year old Nedim Pandzic was taken away to perform works and that he had never come back and that two detainees were subjected to sexual violence.
 
In his closing statement Halilovic called on the witnesses, who, as he said, testified that they were abused in the “Nakina Garaza” and “Planjina Kuca” detention camps to which they had been brought from Ilijas, Vogosca and other municipalities in Sarajevo.
 
Those witnesses said that they were regularly taken to the front lines near Semizovac and on Zuc Hill in order to perform forced labour and that many of them were wounded or killed on those occasions.
 
Zijad Avdibegovic, Hikmet Brkic and Asim Sehic testified about human shields. They said that they saw Vlaco on Zuc, when about 30 detainees were wounded or killed. Halilovic considers that the Prosecution had proved that Vlaco knew about the faith of the people, who were used as human shields, and that he personally drove them, so his responsibility could not be brought into question at all.
 
The Prosecution alleges that Vlaco was a participant in gravest crimes and that he failed to prevent the abuse of detainees by guards and other soldiers, so it requested long-term imprisonment for him.
 
Halilovic considers that there are almost no mitigating circumstances, except for good conduct in the courtroom, in Vlaco’s case. 
 
The Defence is due to present its closing statement on June 19.