Bosnian Serb Soldier Killed My Father, Says Witness
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Witness Kadesa Kasapovic told the Sarajevo-based court on Monday that Serb forces started to shoot, burn houses and force people out in the Visegrad area in 1992, and that she left her village of Dobrun on June 16 that year, first moving to Visegrad itself and then to Gorazde.
After about 40 days her husband came too, but her father stayed, she said.
My husband told me that he was saying to father to come with him, but father didnt want to. He didnt believe what would happen, Kasapovic testified.
She found out from her neighbours in 1993 that her father had been killed.
A protected witness in the trial, codenamed S1, then told her in 1996 exactly how he died, she testified.
She said that father was hiding in the religious school in Dobrun. Petar Kovacevic was looking for him and sent S1 to search for him. She came to the religious school, but it was locked. At the moment when she turned to go, father peered out, Petar saw him, fired from a rifle and killed him. After that he ordered S1 and one other neighbour to bury him, the witness said.
She added that another neighbour confirmed this in 1998.
Former Bosnian Serb soldier Kovacevic is charged with participating the detention, murders and rapes of Bosniak civilians in the Visegrad municipality from May until August 1992.
Responding to questions from Kovacevics defence, the witness said that she knew the accused well, but that before leaving the village she hadnt seen him persecute Bosniaks in the municipality.
The trial continues on November 3.