Vukovic and Tomic: Trial Chamber Disqualification Motion

At a pre-trial status conference in the case of Radomir Vukovic and Zoran Tomic, the Defence of the first indictee announced that it would file a motion, requesting the disqualification of the Trial Chamber, chaired by Senadin Bektasevic.

Radomir Vukovic and Zoran Tomic are charged with genocide and participation in the murder of more than 1,000 Srebrenica residents in Kravica village on July 13, 1995. The indictment alleges that, at that time, the two men were members of the Second Special Police Squad from Sekovici with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska.

Radivoje Lazarevic, Vukovic’s Defence attorney, explained that the same Trial Chamber was sitting in another case, which had “an almost identical factual and legal background”, adding that it pronounced a convicting verdict.

“Considering all that, I think it is psychologically unfair to these people to be tried by a chamber, which already rendered a convicting verdict in another case, which had similar facts. What can the indictees hope for under such circumstances,” Lazarevic said.

The same Trial Chamber was sitting in the case of Vaso Todorovic, who concluded a guilt admission agreement with the State Prosecution. He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for crimes against humanity in Srebrenica.