Witness in Sehagic Trial Will Be Reexamined Regarding Kakanj Archives
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Segahic, the former manager of a detention facility in the old directorate building of the Kakanj coal mine, has been charged with participating in the torture of Croat detainees.
The court informed the defense and prosecution that it had received a response from the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, indicating that the archives of the 309th and 311th Brigade of the Third Corps of the Bosnian Army didn’t contain evidence on detainees held in the former directorate building of the Kakanj mine.
Addressing the chamber, Sehagic stuck to his claims that the archives existed and mentioned the name of the official to whom he handed over the archive as well as the entire inventory of the facility he used to manage.
The chamber accepted a request made by the defense to have this official examined again and to invite four more defense witnesses to testify. According to Sehagic, these witnesses had approached the defense and wanted to testify in order to refute allegations that they were mistreated and beaten in the detention unit in the mine.
A proposal to request military police orders was also accepted, considering the fact that witnesses gave opposing statements on whether members of the military police conducted examinations or not.
The defense claimed all sides of the conflict beat and arrested people during the period covered by the indictment. Defense attorney Vlado Adamovic said attempts were being made to transfer responsibility for all these criminal acts to the defendant, who couldn’t perform military service according to military records.
The court rejected a proposal by the defense to examine four witnesses living abroad in unknown addresses, on the grounds that it wasn’t necessary.
Judge Nermin Tesnjak said those witnesses would be examined concerning the authenticity of testimony given by a prosecution witness, but the court had already received enough information to assess the testimony.
The trial will continue on February 4.
