Second Defendant Dies During Bosnia Village Massacre Trial

Radomir Stojnic’s lawyer confirmed on Thursday that his client, who was on trial alongside 12 other members of Bosnian Serb military and reservist police forces and other groups, died several days ago.

“I was informed by the family yesterday,” lawyer Marinko Brkic told BIRN.

He is the second defendant to die before the verdict in the long-running trial, which started in April 2015. Defendant Zdravko Antonic died in 2018.

Stojnic had been on trial for involvement in the murder of least 150 Bosniak civilians in the village of Zecovi near Prijedor in July 1992.

The other defendants included his son Zoran Stojnic, as well as Dusan Milunic, Radovan Cetic, Dusko Zoric, Ilija Zoric, Zeljko Grbic, Zoran Milunic, Bosko Grujicic, Ljubisa Cetic, Rade and Uros Grujcic and Rajko Gnjatovic.

Stojnic, alias Grom, was charged as commander of the reservist police unit in the village of Rasavci, which operated as part of the police’s Public Security Station in Prijedor.

According to the indictment, Stojnic, together with Dusan Milunic and Radovan Cetic, did nothing to prevent the persecution, murder and forced relocation of Bosniak civilians from Zecovi.

According to the indictment, they met in Rasavci on July 22, 1992 and announced a plan to the reservist unit for a search of the village of Zecovi the following day, even though they knew there were no more weapons in the village.

They are also accused of ordering members of the military and police forces to remove the bodies of 32 people killed in the village of Gradina, ensuring that traces of the crime were covered up.