Trial for Civilian Killings in Lokanj Has Begun

The defendants are Goran Maksimovic, the former commander of the Interventions Unit of the public safety station in Ugljevik; Ljiljan Mitrovic, his deputy; Slavko Peric, the commander of the Lokanjska Company with the Zvornicka Brigade; and Mile Vujevic, Vukasin Draskovic, Gojko Srevanovic, Cvjetko Popadic, Rajo Lazarevic and Mico Manojlovic, who were members of the Lokanjska Company.

They are charged with participating in acts of persecution, which led to the murder of at least 67 Bosniak civilians in the village of Lokanj in mid-July 1992.

“We shall prove that a convoy of Teocak residents, consisting of more than 120 civilians, including women and children, was attacked. The convoy was neither a military factor nor did it represent a threat. However, they were unwelcome,” prosecutor Dika Omerovic said in her introductory statement.

The indictment alleges that this convoy was attacked around the date of July 14, 1992. The attack was allegedly organized by Vinko Lazic, the former chief of the public safety station in Ugljevik, whom judicial bodies have been unable to reach.

The defendants have been charged with participating in the attack by guarding and escorting 76 civilian captives. 67 captives were ultimately killed at several locations.

The indictment alleges that two of the captives were ordered to dig a ditch, in which most of the captives were killed. Small groups of captives were shot inside the ditch. A boy, who was begging not to be killed, was among them.

“The widespread and systematic attack in the Zvornik area lasted from April to October 1992…The defendants participated in a joint plan to remove the Bosniak population, which was the policy of the leadership of the municipality of Zvornik,” Omerovic said.

The prosecution intends to prove its allegations by examining 138 witnesses.

Maksimovic’s defense attorney, Dusko Tomic, said he would invite 40 witnesses to testify. He said his witnesses would describe how and who planned the attacks against Bosniak civilians.

“Vinko Lazic is our first and key witness. The second one is Radivoje Djordjic, who, I hope, will recover…I want to prove that my client had no say in all this,” Tomic said.

Radivoje Djordjic was originally charged in this case as well, but the proceedings against him were separated due to his poor health.

The defense attorneys of Stevanovic and Lazarevic said they would deny the classification of “crimes against humanity.” They said they suspected the alleged crimes were classified as such so that their clients would be tried according to the criminal code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which foresees sentences of up to 40 years in prison for such crimes.

“Their first contact with the convoy happened in the vicinity of Serb houses in Lokanj, when four members of the Serb sentry were killed. Everything that happened afterwards was the result of the commander’s unprofessional behaviour. However, they did not attack Teocak, they were attacked,” defense attorney Dragan Gotovac said.

The first two state prosecution witnesses will be examined in May, pending a free time slot in the court.