Murder of Woman in Kucice

Testifying at the trial of Ranko and Zeljko Rakic, as well as Marko Stankovic, a Zenica Cantonal Prosecution witness says that the women, whose murder is charged upon the indictees, “was most probably killed by Alija’s soldiers.”

Dragomir Kostadinovic said that the situation in Kucice village, Zavidovici municipality, in September 1992, was bad and that several people were killed.

“I think that Rasim’s wife was killed on September 9. I do not know how, because we could not leave our houses due to the shooting. Rasim Husanovic called me on the following morning. He, a cousin and I carried the body inside, bathed and dressed it and buried it at the Muslim cemetery later on,” Kostadinovic said, adding that “Alija’s soldiers” were most probably responsible for her death.
 
The witness specified that the body was about ten metres away from the house and that the house was not set on fire, adding that Rasim Husanovic continued living in the house with his children for some more time.

The Cantonal Prosecution wanted to present witness Kostadinovic with a statement he gave during the investigation in 2006, but the Defence objected, considering the fact that the prosecutorial file did not contain an order to conduct an investigation against the two Rakics and Stankovic.

Given the fact that the investigation was conducted by the State Prosecution, the Trial Chamber gave some time to the Cantonal Prosecution to obtain the order.

Ranko and Zeljko Rakic, as well as Stanko Markovic, former members of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, are charged with having come in front of Hasanovic family house in Kucice village, Zavidovici municipality, in the summer of 1992 and beat a man and then took his wife, daughter and granddaughter towards a hill and set the house on fire.  

The indictment alleges that, a short time after their departure, a gunshot was heard. The woman’s body was found at that place later on.

The trial is due to continue on December 9.