NEXT WEEK: New war crimes trials to begin

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s War Crimes Chamber has announced that a total of nine trials will take place next week.

The trial of Radmilo Vukovic, a former member of Army of  Republika Srpska  (VRS) who is charged with war crime of rape committed on the territory of  Foca, will begin on Tuesday, January 9.

The Prosecution has proposed two days to question two witnesses and present physical evidence, while the defence announced that it would question up to four witnesses and hear an expert opinion of a neuropsychiatrist.

Vukovic is charged with the physical and psychological abuse of protected witness A. It is stated in the indictment that the indictee raped her more than once during June and August 1992 in Miljevina, Foca municipality, after which she gave birth to a child.

It was announced at the status conference that there is a possibility that this trial will be closed for the public in order to protect the witness’ identity.

The status conference before the beginning of the process against Nenad Tanaskovic, who is charged with war crimes against civilians committed on the territory of Visegrad municipality, is scheduled for January 12.

Tanaskovic is charged that in 1992 he, as member of reserve units of Public Security Station Visegrad police and jointly with members of former Army of Srpska Republika BiH, took part in attacks on the civilian population of Visegrad municipality.

It is further stated in the indictment that hundreds of civilians were killed, tortured, beaten, raped, illegally detained and forcefully transferred from the territory of the municipal it during this attack.

Pasko Ljubicic, a former commander of the Croat Defence Council (HVO) Military Police 4th Battalion, will enter a plea next week, on January 9.

The indictee is charged that during the disputes between Army of BiH and HVO he took part in an attack against civilian population in Busovaca and Vitez municipalities.

He is also charged with involvement in the detention of unarmed civilians and use of those civilians as forced labour and other illegal purposes.

The indictment also includes allegations of murders. One of the counts of the indictment describe the attack that took place on April 16, 1993 on villages Ahmici, Nadioci, Pirici and Santici, during which more than 100 Bosniak civilians were killed.

On Tuesday January 9, Zdravko Bozic, Mladen Blagojevic, ZeljkoZaric and Zoran Zivanovic are scheduled to enter a plea based on the charges pressed by the prosecution.

The indictment against the four was confirmed at the end of December last year. Twelve counts of the indictment charge them as members of the Bosnian Serb Military Police Bratunac Light Infantry Brigade with participation in the illegal detention, murder and forced re locations of Bosniak civilians, which took place in July 1995 after the Bosnian Serb forces entered Srebrenica.

Zdravko Bozic and Mladen Blagojevic were deported from United States of America in June and November last year, while Zivanovic and Zaric have been in custody since they were arrested in mid-December.

According to court announcements, Zeljko Lelek – a policeman from Visegrad charged with war crimes against civilians – will appear before the judges on Friday, January 12.

In December 2006 Lelek pleaded not guilty on all six counts of the indictment against him. The prosecution holds him responsible for the expulsion of the civilian population on the territory of Visegrad municipality in April, May and June 1992, as well as murders, illegal detention, torture and beatings.

Lelek is the first person charged with mass rapes and sexual abuse of women in Visegrad municipality.  According to the indictment, he forced women to have sexual relations, working jointly with Hague indictees Milan and Sredoje Lukic as well as other soldiers in “Vilina vlas” spa in Visegrad.

The status conference before the beginning of the trial should be held next week.

On Tuesday, January 9, the prosecution will begin presenting its evidence against Niset Ramic, former member of Territorial Defence (TO) Visoko Municipal Staff Diversion Unit, who is charged with the murder of a group of Serb civilians.

State Prosecutor Slavica Terzic announced that prosecution witnesses would confirm the statements in the indictment in their testimonies.

“Two surviving witnesses as well as Ramic’s fellow soldiers who helped those who were injured will confirm that.  We will question a total of nine witnesses and present numerous pieces of physical evidence,” Terzic said.

According to the indictment, Ramic was in a group of TO members but was the only one who shot at the detainees.

The trials that started earlier and will be continued next week are those against Momcilo Mandic, 11 indictees charged with genocide in Kravica and the Damjanovic brothers, Goran and Zoran.

The prosecution will continue presenting evidence at the trials of Mandic and the 11 indictees charged with genocide,while the defence is in the process of presenting evidence at the trial of the Damjanovic brothers.