Bosnian Serb Ex-Soldier Asks for Wartime Rape Acquittal

Prodanovic said it had not been proved that another Bosnian Serb soldier, Dragan Zelenovic, took two Bosniak women prisoners from the secondary school in Foca on an undetermined date between July 3 and 18, 1992 to an apartment in the so-called ‘Lepa Brena’ building, where the defendant Davidovic raped them together with other soldiers.

The indictment also alleges that the two victims and another Bosniak woman were taken to an abandoned house in the village of Dobro Polje, where the defendants and other soldiers sexually abused them.

“The event did happen in the house in Dobro Polje, but not in the manner described in the indictment. My client did not commit a criminal act,” Prodanovic said.

He noted thta the victims gave previous statements in which they failed to mention the defendant.

“Not a single piece of evidence has confirmed the allegations from the indictment,” Prodanovic said.

He also noted that Zelenovic, who testified as a witness, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Hague Tribunal after admitting guilt.

Zelenovic admitted in 2007 that he took part in the rape and abuse of women and girls at temporary detention centres in Foca in 1992.

The Hague court said at the time that his crimes were “part of a pattern of sexual abuse” of Bosniak women by Serb troops in the Foca area.

Davidovic told the court that he felt sorry for all victims of sexual abuse and mental and physical mistreatment, but he said he was not guilty of the charges against him, adding that Serbs had declared him a traitor and an enemy for having helped people.

“It would never even occur to me to commit such acts, particularly against captured women,” Davidovic said.

The verdict will be handed down on February 27.