Consent of Hague Tribunal Required to Examine Srebrenica Witness

Bosnian state prosecutor Ibro Bulic said the witness told him he wanted to testify without protection measures. However, the trial chamber of the Bosnian state court said the witness couldn’t be examined until the Hague Tribunal had consented and indicated whether the witness could testify without protection measures or not.

“We have to send this witness back,” said trial chamber chairwoman Minka Kreho. She said the witness would also be examined directly by Dragomir Vasic’s defense.

The Bosnian state prosecution has charged Dragomir Vasic, Miodrag Josipovic, Branimir Tesic, Danilo Zoljic and Radomir Pantic with genocide in Srebrenica in July 1995.

Vasic, Zoljic and Pantic allegedly assisted in the forcible resettlement of the local population from Srebrenica, separating men from their families, as well as capturing and executing men and boys in the areas of Bratunac, Srebrenica and Zvornik areas.

The indictment alleges that Josipovic and Tesic participated in the forcible resettlement of the civilian population from Potocari, separating men from their families and transporting and detaining more than 1000 Bosniak men and boys in Bratunac on July 12 and 13, 1995. It is alleged that those men and boys were killed later on.

According to the indictment, Vasic was the commander of the headquarters of Zvornik police forces, Josipovic was the chief of the public safety station and Tesic was the deputy commander of the police station in Bratunac. Zoljic was the commander of special units of the public safety center in Zvornik and Pantic was the commander of the First Company of the special units.

The trial will continue on June 18.