Defense Expert Claims No Evidence Indicates Maric Was HVO Commander

Maric, a former member of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO), has been charged on 25 counts with participating in acts of murder, torture and other inhumane acts committed against the Bosniak population in Prozor from November 1992 to October 1993.

Testifying at today’s hearing, military expert Milan Gorjanc said the defendant was a military policeman with the Rama Brigade of the Croatian Defense Council.

Gorjanc said the “existence of educated HVO officers in the area of Northern Herzegovina has always been questionable,” and as such it was difficult to describe their chain of command.

Gorjanc said there was no written evidence indicating the existence of the “Kinder Squad.”

Gorjanc said Bosniaks were detained in isolation rooms in the municipality of Prozor, not in detention camps.

“Mostly men of older age, as well as young boys aged 16, were isolated. If we consider the fact it was possible to train boys ages 15 and older to become soldiers in the former system, we can understand the reason for isolating them. As far as the others are concerned, they knew they could handle weapons, so their isolation was justified as well,” Gorjanc said.

Responding to a question by trial chamber member Mira Smajlovic, Gorjanc didn’t specify which domestic and international standards defined the term “isolation room.” He said that proper living conditions had to be provided in such premises.

Gorjanc said he heard about the mistreatment and murder of detainees held in the secondary school center in Prozor, fire brigade station and other buildings in the area. As stated by the prosecution, this wasn’t written down in his findings.

Gorjanc said that he didn’t believe there was a widespread and systematic attack aimed at the Bosniak population in the municipality of Prozor.

He also said there was no written evidence indicating the presence of the Croatian Army in that area. In response, the prosecution said Gorjanc indicated in his findings that the presence of the Croatian Defense Council in Prozor was justified.

The state prosecution objected to Gorjanc’s findings, and said it would present its comments in its closing statement.

The trial will continue on February 12.