Neskovic and Ilic: Giving an Alibi

Petko Tesic, former member of the Third Battalion with the Bratunac Brigade of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, told the Court that he saw Ilic at his brother Miroslav’s farewell party in July 1995, adding that Ilic’s father asked him to serve food and drinks to guests at the party, because he was a professional waiter.

“When I came to the house, I saw Zoran Ilic. He helped a little with the preparation of food and drinks for guests. (…) Zoran was there on July 12, 13 and 14, 1995, when we said farewell to the recruit,” Tesic said, adding that a party for young people took place on July 12 and another one for older people and relatives was convened on July 13, while all of them saw him off at the bus station on July 14.

Witness Tesic said that, during the mentioned period of time he slept at the indictee’s place, adding that a policeman accompanied Zoran Ilic all the time.

“A young man, who was dressed in blue police camouflage uniform, was there. Zoran’s father Jovica told me that he escorted him, so he would not flee. Jovica told me that Zoran had been in Serbia, but he had been brought back a month ago.(…) After having been brought back from Serbia, he was taken to Jahorina,” Tesic said.

Tesic told the Court that three or four days after the farewell party, members of his Brigade, including Zoran’s father, received an order to “participate in the terrain search in Sandici”, adding that some deserters were there too, but indictee Zoran Ilic was not among them.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Ilic and Dragan Neskovic with having participated in the search of Bosniak houses in Budak village, near Potocari on July 12 and 13, 1995 with the aim of finding the local residents and escorting them to the United Nations, UN Base in Potocari. According to the charges, on July 13 and 14, 1995 the indictees participated in the capture of Bosniak men, who were then taken in groups to the Agricultural Co-operative in Kravica, Bratunac municipality, where they were executed.

Ilic is charged with having shot, from an automatic gun, at a pile of bodies of prisoners, who had been shot. Neskovic is charged with having ordered two members of his unit to kill two male captives. They allegedly carried out the order.

According to the charges, Neskovic and Ilic were members of the Jahorina Training Centre with the Special Police Brigade of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, MUP of RS.

Ilic is charged with having killed a prisoner in Jelah village on July 17, 1995.

Witnesses Petar Zaric and Radivoje Ilic, who testified in defence of Ilic, said that they attended the farewell party for Miroslav, who was going to start his military service, adding that they saw the indictee, who was accompanied by an armed policeman, at the party. They said that some guests “teased” him about having fled to Serbia.

Radivoje Ilic, indictee Ilic’s distant relative and former member of the Bratunac Brigade, said that he did not see Ilic among the deserters in Sandici.

According to the official schedule of trials held before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this trial is due to continue on 21 March.A.S.