Week ahead: Srebrenica crimes trials due to begin and end
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In the first week of November the Chamber of the War Crimes Section of the State Court is due to pronounce a verdict against Zdravko Bozic, Mladen Blagojevic, Zeljko Zaric and Zoran Zivanovic, who are charged with crimes against Srebrenica residents in Bratunac, after the fall of the UN protected enclave.
The verdict was due to be pronounced on October 29, but the pronouncement was postponed, with no further explanation, until November 6.
On Wednesday, November 5 and Thursday, November 6 a pre-trial status conference is due to take place in the case against Radomir Vukovic and Zoran Tomic. The two men are charged, as former members of the Second Special Police Squad from Sekovici, with having participated in the genocide committed in Srebrenica in July 1995.
Milorad Trbic, former assistant commander for security with the Zvornik Brigade of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, is also charged with genocide in Srebrenica. His trial is due to continue on Monday, November 3.
On Thursday, November 6 the Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will review the appeals filed in the case of Mitar Rasevic and Savo Todovic, who were sentenced, by a first instance verdict pronounced in February this year, to eight and a half and twelve years’ imprisonment for crimes committed in the Foca Correctional Facility, in which Rasevic was commander of guards and Todovic was deputy manager.
The indictment alleges that, from April 1992 to October 1994 the two men participated in the mistreatment of more than 700 prisoners in the Foca Facility. Following the pronouncement of the verdict, the Defence attorneys of the two indictees announced that they would file appeals.
Next week the trials are due to continue in the case of two former members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO – Zrinko Pincic, whose trial is due on November 3 and 4, and Kreso Lucic, whose retrial continues on November 3, 4 and 5. Pincic is charged with having raped a Serbian woman in Konjic, while Lucic was sentenced, by a first instance verdict, to six years’ imprisonment for having abused Bosniaks in detention camps in the Kresevo municipality.
The Defence of Predrag Kujundzic, charged with crimes committed in Doboj, is due to examine nine new witnesses at the hearings scheduled for November 3, 4 and 7.
The examination of the Prosecution witness, who spoke about the participation of Vinko Kondic, Bosko Lukic and Marko Adamovic in crimes committed in Kljuc municipality, is due to continue on November 3 and 5. Two Defence witnesses of Miodrag Nikacevic, former policeman charged with crimes committed in Foca, are due to testify at the hearing scheduled for November 4.
The trial of Gojko Klickovic, Mladen Drljaca and Jovan Ostojic, charged with crimes committed in Bosanska Krupa, is due to continue on November 4 and 5, while the trial of Krsto Savic and Milko Mucibabic, for crimes committed in Nevesinje, Kalinovik, Gacko and Bileca, continues on November 5 and 6.
New witnesses are due to speak about crimes committed against Bosnian Croats detained in Bugojno detention camps, charged upon Nisvet Gasal, Musajb Kukavica, Enes Handzic and Senad Dautovic, at the hearing scheduled for Wednesday, November 5.
At the trial of Suljo Karajic, former member of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who is charged with crimes in the Bihac area, the Prosecution is due to examine an expert witness and present material evidence. On the same day, November 6, the trial is due to continue in the case of former HVO members Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic, charged with crimes committed in Vojno detention camp, near Mostar.
On Thursday, November 6 the trial is due to continue for Kalinovik crimes, which are charged upon Ratko Bundalo, Djordjislav Askraba and Nedjo Zeljaja, former members of the Republika Srpska army and police. On the same day and also on Friday the trial is due to continue in the case of Predrag Bastah and Goran Viskovic, former members of the reserve police forces and VRS, charged with crimes committed in Vlasenica.
Ante Kovac, who is charged, by the Prosecution, with crimes committed in Vitez in 1993, is due to appear before the Court on November 7. The trial of Rade Veselinovic, charged with crime against humanity committed against non-Serbian population in Hadzici municipality, is due to continue on the same day.
