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At today’s hearing of the Pero Radisic trial, Bosnia’s state court requested that the addresses of witnesses be verified in order to avoid postponing future hearings.
Trial chamber chairwoman Jasmina Kosovic said that summons had been sent to witnesses on two occasions. However, some summons had sent back to the court and many had witnesses failed to appear in court.
Kosovic said the court verified some addresses and managed to reach six witnesses. According to the court’s records, the addresses of thirteen other witnesses were correct. Kosovic requested that the state prosecution verify the addresses of the witnesses.
Prosecutor Milorad Barasin said he’d contacted the State Investigation and Protection Agency and had requested that their investigators find the witnesses and obtain their addresses. He said he expected feedback as early as next week.
Kosovic said the prosecution should focus its energies on the six available witnesses. She said the court had done all that it could.
“Sometimes it seems like the court does what the prosecution is supposed to do,” Kosovic said.
Pero Radisic was the former commander of a working squad associated with the Teslicka Brigade of the Army of Republika Srpska.
He is charged with participating in the abuse of Bosniak civilians in Teslic in 1992 and 1993. He’s accused of the physical abuse and inhumane treatment of civilians. According to the indictment, Radisic forced Bosniak civilians to perform hard labour, which resulted in injuries and the death of six civilians.
The trial will continue on March 13.
