Muderizovic et al: SIPA’s Note Denied

The Defence of the indictees, who are charged with crimes committed in the former “Viktor Bubanj” military barracks in Sarajevo, invited witnesses Soniboj Skiljevic and Zeljko Kljajic in regard to a custody termination proposal.

Skiljevic said that he had neither met nor knew indictee Muderizovic, adding that SIPA presented “pure lies and untruth allegations”.

“I responsibly claim that I did not have contacts with him and that he did not visit me or asked me to help him,” said Skiljevic, who was acquitted, under a second instance verdict pronounced by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 2011, of the charges that he committed crimes in “Butmir” Penal and Correctional Facility, near Sarajevo.

According to the SIPA’s official note, which was read in the courtroom by judge Zoran Bozic, indictee Muderizovic visited Skiljevic in Eastern Sarajevo and inquired about former prisoners from the military prison in the “Viktor Bubanj” barracks in an attempt to influence them so they would not say that he had participated in abuse.

According to the State Prosecution’s charges, Muderizovic and Avdovic participated, as willful participants in a joint criminal enterprise, in the establishment and maintenance of a system of abuse of Serb civilians, who were held in the “Viktor Bubanj” military barracks, from the end of June to the end of November 1992.

Iliuan-Nicolae Vintila, born in Romania, is charged under this same indictment. It is alleged that he was a cook and guard in the former military barracks. Vintila is defending himself while at liberty.

Witness Zeljko Kljajic said that indictee Avdovic did not visit him in Eastern Sarajevo or ask him to say that he did not participate in the abuse of people in the “Viktor Bubanj” military barracks, as alleged in the SIPA’s note.

“Avdovic never visited or influenced me. Nobody visited me in order to intervene. What SIPA is saying is a pure disinformation,” said Kljajic, a former prisoner in the “Viktor Bubanj” barracks.

Following the examination of the witnesses, Mirza Kovac, Defence attorney of indictee Avdovic, requested the Court to release the two indictees from custody.

Muderizovic and Avdovic were arrested in October last year. They have been held in custody since, because the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina alleged that they might influence witnesses and, calling on the SIPA’s official note, that that they had already done that in the past.

Considering the fact that the allegations contained in the note were denied, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina invited a few SIPA members to give their statements on January 13 this year.