No Heavy Artillery in Studenkovici

The trial of Ratko Mladic, who is charged with genocide against Muslims and Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH, continues at the Hague following a one-week break ordered due to indictee’s illness.

The trial continued with testimony by witness Milos Skrba. By presenting this witness, Mladic’s Defence tried to deny the allegation that the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, randomly attacked civilians in Sarajevo using artillery and snipers.
 
Skrba, the then Commander of one of VRS companies deployed to the hills surrounding Sarajevo, said that his unit did not have heavy artillery at all. He said that he had never issued nor received an order to open fire against civilians in Sarajevo.
 
He denied the allegation that VRS was responsible for an explosion at Markale market place on August 28, 1995, when 44 citizens were killed and 75 wounded, by saying that his company did not have any 12-mm mine-throwers in Studenkovici village, from which, according to an investigation, the grenade could have come.
 
Skrba denied the allegation that a sniper bullet, which wounded three-year old Anisa Pita, while she was playing in front of her house in Sirokaca neighbourhood, Sarajevo, on December 19, 1992, was fired from positions held by his unit.
 
According to the witness’ testimony, his company neither had sniper guns not trained snipers. He said that Pita family house could not even be seen from positions held by his company.
 
While being examined by Mladic’s Defence attorney Miodrag Stojanovic, Skrba said that the Company, which was under his command, allowed the passage of all humanitarian convoys going to Sarajevo.  
 
“We did not even control them. Military policemen did it at checkpoints… All the convoys passed uninterruptedly,” Skrba said.
 
During the cross-examination Prosecutor Milbert Shin quoted some documents issued by the Serb Army, trying to prove that VRS mine-throwers were situated on positions from which Markale could have been targeted, but the witness did not give any concrete responses to that.
 
Mladic is also charged with genocide in Srebrenica, persecution of Muslims and Croats throughout BiH, which reached the scale of genocide in seven municipalities, and taking UN “blue helmets” hostage.
 
Mladic’s Defence is due to present its next witness to the judges tomorrow, June 24.