Republika Srpska Security Chief Claims He Never Saw Documentation on Mass Deportations at Mladic Trial

Ratko Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, has been charged with persecution of Bosniaks and Croats throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. The persecution reached the scale of genocide in several municipalities in 1992. He is also on trial for genocide in Srebrenica, terrorizing the citizens of Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.

“Sometimes we received notice that crimes and murders based on ethnic affiliation had been committed, but those things did not fall under our department’s field of responsibility, but rather that of the public security department,” Kijac said.

While being examined by Mladic’s defense attorney Branko Lukic, Kijac suggested that Republika Srpska’s security services counteracted groups and individuals who cooperated with the Serbian State Security Service without authorization.

Kijac mentioned the “Tajfun” and “Milos” groups as examples. According to Kijac, these groups were formed as per an initiative of Republika Srpska president Radovan Karadzic at the beginning of the war. Kijac said members of these groups were arrested towards the end of the war.

According to Kijac, cooperation between the security services of Republika Srpska and Serbia deteriorated along with their political relations. Responding to questions by prosecutor Arthur Traldi, Kijac confirmed that the security services of Republika Srpska and Serbia exchanged as many as “500 pieces of information.”

Traldi attempted to demonstrate the close cooperation between Republika Srpska and Serbia’s security services by presenting the chamber with a photo of Kijac, Jovica Stanisic, the chief of Serbia’s state security service, Franko Simatovic, his assistant, Radovan Karadzic, Momcilo Krajisnik and Milan Martic.

Kijac said the the photo was taken at a meeting which was held in Bijeljina in 1995.

Traldi asked whether the people on the photo had “a joint goal.”

“That’s a very difficult question for me. I couldn’t answer it,” Kijac said.

Stanisic, Simatovic and Karadzic are currently on trial at the Hague. Krajisnik and Martic have been found guilty of war crimes.

Traldi then quoted a New Year’s message written by Stanisic and Martic in 1995. The message said their shared goal was the “unification of Serb states.” Kijac said he was unable to interpret what Stanisic and Martic meant by that statement.

During cross-examination, Kijac confirmed that the paramilitary formation led by Zeljko Raznatovic, known as Arkan, operated in Republika Srpska. However, he denied having coordinated his arrival to Republika Srpska.

“I knew that Arkan was present in the territory of Bosanska Krajina during the fall of the municipalities in 1995, but I did not coordinate his arrival. It did not fall under my competencies,” Kijac said.

According to Ratko Mladic’s wartime diary, which Traldi read from, the leadership of the Bosnian Serb Army had been informed in advance that approximately 300 of Raznatovic’s men would enter the conflict. The diary said the police forces of Republika Srpska would coordinate them.

Kijac said he was unaware of this arrangement. Traldi suggested that Raznatovic was a criminal prior to his arrival to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kijac indicated that Raznatovic was “a person of interest from the point of view of the security services.”

Traldi presented evidence that indicated Karadzic decorated Raznatovic after the end of the Bosnian war, in May 1996.

“I see that now. I didn’t know…I know some decoration was given to his guard in Bijeljina,” Kijac said.

The trial will continue on Tuesday, October 20.