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Dronjak: Closing Statement Due May 10

13. April 2012.00:00
The Presentation of evidence at the trial of Ratko Dronjak, who is charged with crimes in Drvar, has been completed with examination of two last Defence witnesses. The presentation of State Prosecution’s closing statement is scheduled for May 10.

This post is also available in: Bosnian

Witness Slavko Lisica, former Commander of the Third Tactical Group of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, said that the VRS did not conduct a widespread and systematic attack against non-Serb civilians during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Lisica said that the Krajina Autonomous Region did not exist.

“The Krajina Autonomous Region did not exist. I know that, because I was present on that territory. The regional crisis committee did not exist either. You can say whatever you want,” the witness told Prosecutor Begovic, who presented him with, as she said, decisions about the existence of the Autonomous Region of Krajina.

Dronjak, former Manager of detention facilities and detention camps in Drvar, is charged with having consciously participated, along with members of the Second Krajina Corps of VRS, in the implementation of a plan for persecution of non-Serbian population.

Dronjak is charged with having participated in the organisation of the unlawful detention of Bosniak and Croat civilians and prisoners of war from the Autonomous region of Krajina, which included Kljuc, Kupres, Sanski Most and other municipalities.

Besides that, he is charged with having participated in the establishment and maintenance of a punishment and abuse system in the “Slavko Rodic” school building and Kamenica detention camp, where people were beaten up, killed and forced to perform hard labour.

Second witness Zelimir Knezevic, who used to draw military maps for the Serbian Republic of Krajina Army in Croatia, said that the VRS conducted attacks in the zone of responsibility of the Second Krajina Corps only when it wanted to regain the lost territories.

The trial of Dronjak began in September 2010. Dragan Rodic was originally charged under the same indictment, but he admitted guilt soon after the beginning of the trial. He was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.

Rodic was found guilty of having participated, as guard and commander of a guard shift in detention camps in the Drvar area, in the establishment of a system for punishment of prisoners, torture, murder and beating. By doing that, he participated, along with other guards and members of the Second Krajina Corps of VRS, in the persecution of the non-Serbian population.
A.J.

This post is also available in: Bosnian