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Trial Chamber Chairwoman Mira Smajlovic said that Defence attorneys Dusko Tomic and Predrag Drinic had failed to appear in court, despite having been duly informed, adding that the hearing would be postponed because of their absence.
Judge Smajlovic said that a witness, who was due to testify in defence of indictee Stanko Kojic, failed to appear in the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina too.
Considering the fact that we are facing a procedural obstacle caused by the fact that none of the Defence attorneys of indictee Kos is present and the fact that we cannot examine the witness, this hearing will be postponed, judge Smajlovic explained.
The State Prosecution charges Franc Kos, Stanko Kojic, Vlastimir Golijan and Zoran Goronja with genocide in Srebrenica by participating in the murder of more than 800 men and boys on Branjevo military farm in July 1995.
According to the charges, Kos, former Commander of the First Unit with the Tenth Reconnaissance Squad of the Main Headquarters with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, and Kojic, Golijan and Goronja, former members of that Squad, jointly shot prisoners.
The Defence of indictee Kojic explained that it had contacted the witness, who was due to testify at this hearing, but the witness said that he was afraid for his safety in case of testifying at this trial.
I spoke to the witness this morning. He told me that he lived in Sarajevo and that he was afraid for his safety. Therefore, the Defence is giving up on the examination of this witness, said Milan Romanic, Defence attorney of indictee Kojic.
The next hearing is due to be held on Tuesday, February 21 this year.S.U.
