Presentation of Evidence at Kalinovik Crimes Trial Completed

Zoran Bjelica and Novica Tripkovic, former members of the Bosnian Serb Army, have been charged with participating in the murder and torture of Bosniak civilians detained in the Miladin Radojevic school building in Kalinovik in August 1992. According to the charges, Edin Bico was one of the victims.

Naza Pervan is Bico’s aunt and was detained in the same facility as him. Testifying at today’s hearing, Pervan said they “jabbed” him in a different classroom every night. On the night of Bico’s death, she said “a hundred” soldiers entered the school building and walked upstairs to where he was detained.

“They put Edin into a trough after that,” she said.

Pervan said a person with the last name Hatibovic told her brother the following, “Edin is sitting, not moving…Sejdo is lying on the ground.”

Pervan said Bico was sick and he asked a woman to bring him a sugar cube.

“Then they locked him in again. I don’t know what happened to him. We didn’t see him again. His body was found,” Pervan said.

Responding to a question by Zoran Bjelica’s defense, Pervan said she didn’t know who killed Edin.

After having examined Pervan, who was an additional witness the prosecution included a statement made by a defense witness into the case file. The statement was given to Bjelica’s defense attorney, Milan Romanic. Romanic objected to relevance of that statement.

After the prosecution had further specified the indictment, it was established that the presentation of evidence was completed. The prosecution will present its closing statement on March 9.