Karadzic: The Laws of God

Zecevic said that on that day a 120mm projectile was fired from a position located in the north, between 4,900 and 6,000 metres away from the open air market.

“I worked with three colleagues one day after the incident. I volunteered to do that because I thought the earlier statements that it was not possible to determine the direction from which the projectile had come were not true,” court expert Zecevic said.

Zecevic explained that whether or not a stabilizer stays in the ground and whether it is found in the vicinity of the explosion point or far from it give an indication about the zone from which the projectile was fired.

“These are the laws of god, the laws of mechanics,” Zecevic said, explaining how he reached his conclusions.

The Hague Prosecution charges Radovan Karadzic, former President of Republika Srpska, with genocide, crimes against humanity and violation of the laws and customs of war committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period from 1992 to 1995.

In addition, Karadzic is considered responsible for a sniping and shelling campaign conducted in Sarajevo with the aim of spreading fear among the civilian population.

The indictment mentions several specific incidents, including one on February 5, 1994, when a 120mm mine-thrower grenade was fired on Markale open air market in Sarajevo, killing 66 and wounding more than 120 people. According to the charges, the projectile was fired from territories approximately located in the north-northeast direction, which were held by the VRS.

When the Prosecutor posed a hypothetical question about whether the projectile could have been fired at Markale from a building near the marketplace, Zecevic said this was “an unrealistic scenario” that could only happen in “science-fiction movies”.

“In order for a detonation to take place, it is necessary to perform an intervention on the igniter…If someone is so crazy or brave to do that, he has to make sure the projectile does not roll over and that the top of the igniter hits the ground. The person throwing it can be wounded or killed,” Zecevic explained.

During the course of his testimony, Zecevic also spoke about the use of modified air bombs with aerosol charge in Sarajevo in 1994 and 1995.

“If human targets are in an open area, it is more likely that the fragmentation effect will cause the destruction of civilians. However, if they are under the ground level or in residential buildings, the aerosol system would be more effective,” Zecevic said.

Zecevic stood during most of the course of his testimony due to spine-related health problems. The Trial Chamber made frequent breaks because of his health condition.

Court expert Zecevic was transferred to the Hague last week, after having been arrested in Sarajevo on a warrant issued by the Tribunal, for having refused to testify at Karadzic’s trial. The indictment for contempt of court, which was filed against him, was suspended after he said he would testify at the trial.

The trial is due to continue on February 23, when cross-examination of court expert Zecevic will continue.

M.T.