Klickovic et al: Self-initiated departures

On the second day of the material evidence presentation at the trial of the three indictees, who are charged with crimes committed in Bosanska Krupa, the Prosecution presented certain documents pertaining to the “cleansing” of one area in Krupa town and the participation of the Serbian Democratic Party, SDS, in the arming of Serbian civilians.

The Prosecution claims that Gojko Klickovic, Jovan Ostojic and Mladen Drljaca participated, in the course of 1992, in a joint criminal enterprise, with an aim of creating “a separate state from which most non-Serbian residents would be permanently evicted”.

The indictment alleges that Klickovic had “actual control over the police forces and Territorial Defence, TD”. Among other things, it further alleges that, from April to December 1992, he was president of the SDS Executive Board and Serbian municipality of Bosanska Krupa Assembly, as well as commander of the Crisis Committee in this municipality.

The Prosecution then presented, as material evidence, minutes of the fourth session of Krupa Serbian municipality Assembly, at which Klickovic spoke about “the cleansing of the right side of Krupa town”, as well as some documents from August 1992, pertaining to participation of the SDS in “distribution of weapons” to refugees.

The Trial Chamber determined that the Minutes of the Assembly session were not signed or sealed, while the document was handwritten and hardly readable. The Defence stressed that the bodies, formed in the Krupa area in the course of the war, were legal, as they were formed in line with old legal provisions.

The Prosecution presented, as material evidence, a request for arming of the TD forces, dated March 1992. In this document, which was signed by Klickovic, “more qualitative arming of the TD in the Serbian municipality of Krupa”.

According to a decision made by the wartime Presidency of Krupa Serbian municipality in May 1992, the Presidency responsibilities were defined and its members were appointed. The list of members includes, among others, Gojko Klickovic, Mladen Drljaca, Mirosav Vjestica, Mile Vojnovic and Milan Strbac.

The indictment against the three indictees mentions Vjestica, Vojnovic and Strbac as accomplices in the crimes committed in Bosanska Krupa.

The indictment alleges that, among other functions, Drljaca performed the function of member of the Crisis Committee and wartime Presidency of the Serbian municipality of Krupa, as well as president of the Interim Court Martial, at which prisoners were examined.

The Prosecution presented a list of a few persons, who were escorted out of the Krupa area, as per an order made by the wartime Presidency. After the list was presented to the Trial Chamber, indictee Klickovic said those persons “self-initiated” the issuance of those passes.

At an earlier stage the Defence mentioned that certain Prosecution evidence, which had allegedly been obtained from The Hague, were certified in Sarajevo and not at The Hague. For this reason the Defence questioned their authenticity. The Prosecution said that “most pieces of material evidence” were obtained from the Intelligence and Security Agency, adding that the documents were certified in Bosnia and Herzegovina for that reason.

The trial is due to continue on Tuesday, September 16.