Witnesses Provide Alibi for Bosnian Serb Fighter Rackovic

Former Bosnian Serb fighter Vitomir Rackovic is on trial for alleged attacks on several villages during the Bosnian war, as well the detainment, abuse, and rape of civilians. At today’s hearing witnesses, including former fellow soldiers, testified on Rackovic’s wartime activities.

Vitomir Rackovic, a former member of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS), has been charged with participating in attacks on the Bosniak villages of Crni Vrh, Osojnica, Kabernik and Holijaci. He is also charged with unlawful detention, torture, enforced disappearances and rape, committed between May-August 1992.

Witness Miodrag Markovic, a former VRS soldier, said that Rackovic was in the Zaglavak area with other members of his unit in June, 1992. Rackovic worked as a guard, Markovic said. Their commander asked them to withdraw from the area in mid-July, 1992.

When asked by prosecutor Dzevad Muratbegovic whether they had a truck in Zaglavak, Markovic said they did, but that it was inoperable after having been damaged during an ambush. Markovic said the truck was used for transporting ammunition.

Markovic said that the defendant had a gray-green uniform, but didn’t know whether he wore a jacket.

When asked by the trial chamber how far the defendant was from him in Zaglavak, Markovic said that he was on the opposite side and wasn’t able to see him.

At the same hearing, the second defense witness Pero Draskovic said that he was recruited as a member of the reserve police forces in Visegrad in May 1992. When asked by the prosecutor whether the reserve police forces exclusively consisted of Serbs, Draskovic answered affirmatively.

Defense attorney Petko Pavlovic then asked him if he had stayed in the village of Pocivala in Visegrad in late May, 1992. The witness said he had not.

The third witness, Slobodan Tesovic, told the court he used to work at a health center in Visegrad, where he saw the defendant asking for medical assistance on several occasions.

“I remember that he came with Zarko Krsmanovic in mid-August 1992…Krsmanovic was severely wounded. I went with him to Uzice. Somebody else offered medical assistance to Vito [Vitomir], so I don’t know what kind of injuries he had,” Tesovic said.

Tesovic said that he went to Zaglavak once or twice a week and to offer help to people.

When asked by the prosecutor whether he saw soldiers sleep inside a vehicle in Zaglavak, Tesovic said he had not.

Tesovic said that Rackovic was seriously wounded in the fall of 1992 and that he accompanied him while he was being driven to a hospital in Uzice, Serbia.

Evidence concerning the defendant’s wounds and his medical treatment in Serbia were included in the case file at this hearing.

The next hearing will be held on February 18.