Witnesses Describe Rumours Pointing to Miljevic’s Guilt in Civilian Murder

Marinko Miljevic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb Army, has been charged with killing Azema Kucukovic with an automatic weapon in August 1992.

The witnesses said they weren’t in the village of Gornji Budelj in the municipality of Kljuc in August 1992, when the village was set on fire and Kuckovic was killed.

“I was in Landiste that night. When I came home to rest, I heard that Azema had been killed. A neighbour named Rosa, an elderly woman, visited my mother and told her about the murder. She told her rumours that said Marinko had killed her,” cantonal prosecution witness Milan Vrazina said.

Cantonal prosecution witness Branko Andrijevic said he served the Bosnian Serb Army as medical staff. He said he was deployed to the Manjaca detention camp, where Kuckovic’s son Emir was held.

“When I was on leave in the village, I heard that Azema had been killed. Rumours said our neighbour Marinko had killed her. Upon my return to Manjaca, I saw Emir. I felt sorry and sad, so I told him his mother had been killed. When I thought about it later on, I realized I shouldn’t have told him, because it was hard for him anyway,” Andrijevic said.

Drenko Ivanic, the defendant’s former comrade, said Jovica Oktabdzija told him that Marinko had killed Azema Kucukovic in 2001.

“Jovica was a policeman, just like me. When he lost his job in 2001, I asked him what the reason was. He told me they associated him with Azema Kuckovic’s murder. He said he was there, but Marinko killed Azema, because he got scared,” Ivanic said.

Lazar Radisic, Miljevic’s cousin, said his parents told him about the murder.

“All sorts of rumours circulated…Some said Marinko did it, others said Jovica did it. I don’t know what the truth is. These were village rumours,” Radisic said.

Bosko Toljagic, a former police officer, said he went to Gornji Budelj after having been informed about the murder.

“We found Azema’s old mother in front of the house. We saw traces of blood in front of the stairs. When we asked where the corpse was, she said they had buried her behind the house. We didn’t find out anything more indicating what had happened. I don’t remember anyone having been arrested for that,” Toljagic said. He said he considered the defendant a good neighbour.

The trial will continue on November 24.