Thankful to Indictee
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Radojka and Vidak Klaric, indictee Sladoje’s neighbours, said that their son Zoran was killed at the Jewish Cemetery on June 13, 1992.
“I remember the date. I shall remember it for as long as I live. He was at the Jewish Cemetery. There was fierce shooting. We fled to our summer house. Goran Sladoje drove him home. He was trying to save his life, but he did not succeed,” Radojka Klaric said, adding that hospital staff just noted that her son was dead.
Klaric said that she would be thankful to Goran Sladoje for as long as she lived, just like her husband.
According to the witness’ testimony, following her son’s funeral on July 14, indictee Sladoje drove her and her husband to Pale. She said that they then went to their other son’s in Belgrade.
When asked by Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor Sead Krestalia whether her son Zoran was wounded at night, the witness answered negatively, explaining that he was wounded “during the day” and that they brought him back to hospital at 6 o’clock.
The Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecution charges Goran Sladoje and Slobodan Bogdanovic with having taken Bajro and Suad Besic from their house to a garage on June 13, 1992. They allegedly beat them in the garage and then transported them to the Jewish Cemetery, where they used them as human shields. Suad Besic was killed on that occasion.
The witness said that she knew Bajro Besic and his family.
“I considered them fine neighbours,” the witness said, confirming that the Besic family did not attend her son’s funeral in Miljevici.
Vidak Klaric said that Goran Sladoje drove his son, who was already dead, in the early evening on June 13.
“He bled to death and died,” Vidak Klaric said, adding that his other son Srdjan was with Sladoje and that they drove him home together.
The witness pointed out that indictee Sladoje came to their summer house in Tilava, where they lived as refugees, in order to comfort them over the loss of their son.
The witness said that he knew nothing about the fate of Suad and Bajro Besic, because he went to Belgrade following his son’s funeral.
The trial is due to continue on December 29.
