Material Evidence Presented By Tripkovic Defense

Novica Tripkovic’s defense presented material evidence to the state court, including a book on the testimony of wartime rape victims titled “I begged them to kill me.”

Tripkovic and Zoran Bjelica, both former members of the Bosnian Serb Army, have been charged with participating in the murder and torture of Bosniak civilians who were detained in the Miladin Radojevic school building in Kalinovik in August 1992.

Tripkovic’s defense included “I begged them to kill me,” a book on the testimony of wartime rape victims, in the case file. Prosecutor Cazim Hasanspahic said the book was irrelevant evidence, because the identities of the persons who gave statements to the author could not be verified.

Defense attorney Slavko Asceric said the book had been used at other trials at the Hague Tribunal and before the Bosnian state court.

Asceric also filed findings by a team of doctors on Tripkovic’s mental health, as well as reports on the examinations of Branko Sladoje and Zumra Kovac. These findings and reports were not read aloud in the courtroom.

A photo of Tripkovic from February 1993 was also included in the case file. The prosecution objected to authenticity of the photo. Tripkovic said the photo depicted him and his mother, while Asceric explained that the photo was included in order to compare it to the descriptions the witnesses provided.

Asceric also included a plaque Tripkovic received from the Red Cross of Republika Srpska for being a voluntary blood donor into the case file as material evidence.

The trial will continue on August 17.