Bosnian Army Officer Rejects Responsibility for Croats’ Killings

In its closing statement, the defence said it was apparent from the evidence that Buza did not command the forces involved in the operation in Uzdol and as such he was not obliged to take any action to discipline anyone who committed crimes during it.

“The defendant was not obliged to undertake the necessary measures to punish the perpetrators. Even if he had had the obligation, he could not have fulfilled it, because all the victims were transported to Split in Croatia,” said defence lawyer Ismet Mehic.

The indictment alleged that members of the Bosnian Army’s Independent Prozor Battalion attacked the village of Uzdol, near Prozor, on September 14, 1993, and killed 27 Croat civilians in the hamlets of Kriz, Zelenike and Raici.

Buza is charged, in his capacity as commander of the battalion, with having failed to undertake measures to punish the perpetrators.

Defence lawyer Mehic argued however that most of the victims were not civilians but members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, or armed local residents.

Defendant Buza told the court meanwhile that no order had been found in which he ordered the attack.

He said that even if the Independent Prozor Battalion had enough trained staff and adequate equipment, he would have never ordered an attack on Uzdol, because it was “a tactical nonsense”.

As he did not command the operation, he said was not obliged to undertake any further action against any alleged perpetrators of crimes during it.

“I express sympathy for the innocent people who were killed, but I do not feel responsible, let alone guilty,” Buza said.

The verdict will be handed down on September 27.