Verdict in Indira Kameric Case Expected on April 17
This post is also available in: Bosnian
Before the date of the verdict was set, Kameric’s defense attorney Lejla Covic asked the trial chamber to acquit Kameric of all charges. She claimed that there was a case of mistaken identity with regards to the charges against him.
Covic claimed the state prosecution failed to prove that Kameric belonged to any military units. Defense witnesses, she added, confirmed that Kameric worked at the municipal building in Bosanski Brod in 1992, and didn’t go to any detention facilities in the city.
Kameric, allegedly a former member of the 101th Brigade of the Bosnian Croat Army, has been charged with participating in the abuse of civilians and prisoners of war at the police station and Polet stadium in Bosanski Brod between April-October 1992. Kameric allegedly physically and mentally abused detainee Marko Mitric in the police station in Bosanski Brod in June 1992. He is also charged with participating in the sexual abuse of detainees at the Polet stadium.
Covic said that in a statement Mitric had given in 2007, which the state prosecution had presented, he had claimed that “Indira Vrbanjac gave him a receipt [confirming] that his belongings were confiscated and put him on trial.”
“This is the only evidence the Bosnian state prosecution has presented on this count, and it doesn’t even confirm the allegations in the indictment,” Covic said.
During the course of the trial documents were introduced into the case file which confirmed that Kameric’s last name in 1992 was Vrbanjac.
Referring to charges which allege that Kameric participated in the sexual abuse of prisoners at the Polet stadium, Covic said witnesses described the events that occurred there differently. She said as a result, their testimony was not credible.
“The female witness didn’t say the defendant ordered someone to hit her and Hazda Nukic didn’t mention the sexual abuse for 22 years. I am sure you will agree these are not credible statements,” Covic said.
In her closing arguments, Covic claimed that the third count of the indictment was also unproven. According to the third count of the indictment, Kameric beat prisoner Jovo Dujic with a metal bar and jumped on him with high heels.
“Kameric wears size 44 shoes, and high heels of that size are not even manufactured,” Covic said. Covic said Kameric wore that size of shoe since the sixth grade.
Covic said the state prosecution didn’t offer any evidence that Kameric enabled the rapes of illegally detained women.
