This post is also available in: Bosnian
The defendants, all former members of the Bosnian Serb Army, have been charged with murdering Zuhra Husanovic in the village of Kucice in late August or at the beginning of September 1992. They are being tried at the cantonal court of Zenica.
The witness, Azim Sinanovic, is a former officer with the Bosnian Army unit which was active in the area during the time of the alleged crime. Sinanovic explained the positions of the military units and the configuration of the terrain in Kucice. According to the prosecution, Sinanovic attempted to deny allegations that Zuhra Husanovic was killed by a sniper during cross-fire from surrounding military positions.
Sinanovic presented a map upon which he had drawn military positions. He said taking into account the configuration of the terrain and the distance of the positions, it wouldnt have been possible to shoot a target using infantry weapons in that area.
The crime scene, which I visited, is at a lower altitude and the terrain is hilly, filled with trees and has poor visibility, so it wasnt possible to use infantry weapons in that area, Sinanovic said.
The defense attorneys of the defendants said they werent ready to cross-examine Sinanovic, and said they needed to check the authenticity of the map he presented. The trial chamber allowed the defense time to review the map.
The trial will continue on May 19.
