This post is also available in: Bosnian
As per a proposal by the Defence of indictee Dragan Sunjic, a part of an amateur recording of the exchange of Croat and Bosniak civilians conducted on December 2, 1993, was shown in the courtroom. By showing the mentioned recording, the Defence wanted to show how certain individuals, who came from so-called detention camp in Vojno, looked like and present the things those people said at the trial.
The Appellate Chamber upheld the State Prosecution’s proposal, excluding the public from the part of the session at which the recording was shown, because, as said by Prosecutor Jude Romano, the recording may feature some protected witnesses.
Dragan Sunjic, Marko Radic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic are charged with physical, mental and sexual abuse of prisoners in Vojno prison, Mostar, during the course of 1993 and 1994.
The indictment alleges that 76 women, children and old people, as well as some detainees who had been brought from Heliodrom detention camp to perform forced labour, were detained in that building.
In February 2009 a first instance verdict was pronounced, sentencing Radic, Sunjic, Brekalo and Vracevic, former members of the Bijelo polje Battalion with the HVO Second Brigade, to a total of 80 years in prison. However, after the Prosecution and Defence teams appealed the verdict, the Appellate Chamber revoked it and ordered a retrial.
At this hearing the second indictee’s Defence said it wanted to present a few documents pertaining to Dragan Sunjic’s looks during the course of the war and his membership in the Army. The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina objected many of the documents, saying they were irrelevant and did not actually represent new pieces of evidence.
As it was excluded from the session, the public does not know what decision the Appellate Chamber made in respect to the proposals made by Sunjic’s Defence.
The trial is due to continue on February 14, 2011.
A.M.A.
