Witnesses at Popovic Trial Describe Arrests and Pillaging in Rodica Brdo

Jovan Popovic has been charged with abducting civilians in Rodica Brdo in the Visegrad area in mid-June 1992 and taking them to a police station. The civilians have remained missing since. Popovic allegedly acted in collaboration with a group of soldiers. He has also been charged with pillaging houses in Rodica Brdo and other villages in the Visegrad area.

A protected witness known as S-5 testified at today’s hearing. S-5 said she saw a blonde woman in front of Seval Zukic’s house in Rodica Brdo in mid-1992. S-5 said the woman asked Zukic to bring the car to her.

“I saw Jovan as well. He was on the road. He called Seval’s name and said they would go together in Seval’s car to Huso Delibasic’s house, because they wanted to take him away. So Seval left. It was a lie, because both Huso and Seval were taken away, while Jovan took the car,” S-5 said.

According to S-5, a few days later a group of soldiers came to the village again and took Fadil Zukic and Resad Mucovski away. S-5 said she saw Popovic on that occasion as well.

S-5 also said she saw the defendant take firewood, machinery and wheat from Bosniak houses during that period of time.

During cross-examination S-5 was presented with minutes from a statement she had given during the investigation, in which she failed to mention that she saw the defendant when Zukic, Mucovski and Delibasic were taken away. S-5 said State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) investigators hadn’t asked her about it at that time.

A protected state prosecution witness known as S-6 also testified at today’s hearing. She said she saw a group of about 50 Serb soldiers in Rodica Brdo in mic-1992.

“My daughter ran into the house and scattered some things around the house, while my husband hid in the attic. The soldiers asked where my husband was. I said he was not there and that some men had already looked for him. When they saw the things scattered around, they moved on,” S-6 said.

S-6 said she saw Jovan Popovic on that day. She said he told her he could not help Fadil Zukic. She said he and another soldier then abducted Resad Mucovski from his house.

S-6 witness said her neighbours told her Popovic was present when Seval Zukic and Huso Delibasic were taken away. She said she also saw him stealing from Bosniak houses in Rodica Brdo.

Both witnesses revealed other information during their testimony, but publishing that information would disclose their identity.

The trial will continue on November 11.