Forensic Expert Describes Autopsy Reports of Murder Victims at Brestovac Trial

Brestovac, a former police officer with the Doboj public safety station, has been charged with participating in the murder of civilians Muharem, Muhamed and Ismeta Aldobasic in the village of Miljkovac in Doboj in June 1992.

At today’s hearing, forensic scientist Sabiha Siladzic-Brkic told the district court of Doboj that she wrote an autopsy for Ismeta, Muhamed and Muharem Aldobasic after their exhumation.

“After having examined the remains of Ismeta Aldobasic, I determined her death was caused by skull fractures. The possibility that a weapon was used cannot be excluded, but I was unable to give a precise opinion due to the condition of the injury. Muhamed and Muharem Aldobasic had violent head injuries caused by bullets,” Silajdzic-Brkic said.

Rosa Jeftic, a former neighbour of the victims, also testified at today’s hearing. She said she was at home on the night of their murder, and heard shooting coming from the Aldobasic home.

“There was shooting that evening. I saw lights on in their yard. The next day I saw the burnt house. Petra came to our place at around 10 or 11. She said, ‘My husband, sister-in-law and brother-in-law are gone. They were killed.’ She told us she had run away to her uncle’s house. She said they had been killed by our people. She asked my late husband to take her to hospital,” Jeftic said.

District prosecutor Snjezana Petrovic presented Jeftic with a statement she gave to the State Investigation and Protection Agency in 2009. In that statement, Jeftic had said she heard of the Aldobasic murder from police officers at a checkpoint near her house.

“That is true. My late husband told me about it later on as well,” Jeftic said.

The trial will continue on October 27.