Verdict of Release Requested

Presenting their closing statements, the Defence of Fikret Planincic and Rasim Lisancic call for a verdict of release, saying that it has not been proved that they participated in an attack on Serdari village on September 17, 1992.

Bekir Ferizovic, Defence attorney of indictee Fikret Planincic, said that the Court’s decision would depend on the extent to which it would trust the witnesses, who identified Planincic “by his voice”.

“Witness Joco Serdar told the Court that he did not see his head, but he recognised Planincic by his voice. The Court must carefully assess these types of identification,” Ferizovic said.

He said that, while testifying in his defence, indictee Planincic said that he found out that a military operation would be conducted just before September 17 and that his task would be to be in the immediate vicinity on Orica Hill.
“Planincic explained to the Court that he was tasked with sending a signal by firing several bullets in case the Serb forces’ tank would turn around. He did that. After that he went to Bilice village. He did not participate in the operation,” the Defence attorney said. 

He said that Serdari village was occupied the whole time and that it was used for conducting attacks on other villages, which made it a defended village.
The indictee addressed the Court, saying that he was glad for not having participated in the attack on Serdari village. 

According to the charges, the attack on Serdari village happened on September 17, 1992, when 16 Serb civilians were killed. Fikret Planincic, as well as Rasim Lisancic, Sead Menzil and Mirsad Vatrac, who, as alleged under the indictment, were members of the Territorial Defence in Kotor-Varos, are on trial for having participated in that attack.

In his closing statement Izet Bazdarevic, Defence attorney of indictee Rasim Lisancic, said that, nobody else but witness Gina Kukric said that they saw the indictee in Serdari village. He said that her statement and testimony in court were not the same.

“While giving a statement to the District Military Court in Banja Luka, Kukric said that a blonde guy put a knife on her throat in Serdari village on September 17, 1992 and that he asked her to tell him where the ammunition was. However, she told the Prosecution that indictee Rasim Lisancic put a knife to her throat, asking her to tell him who had killed his sister,” Bazdarevic said.

As he said, the other witnesses did not say that Lisancic was present in the village. According to Bazdarevic, the Defence claims that the indictee’s brother was present in Serdari on that day and that witness Gina Kukric might have switched the two of them.

“Rasim Lisancic did not participate in those events, but his brother Muharem, who looks like him, was present in the village on that day. According to witnesses’ statements, he was drunk,” Bazdarevic said.

Lisancic addressed the Trial Chamber by saying: “Let justice win, even if it heralds the end of the world.”
 
The trial is due to continue on December 10, when the Defence of Menzil and Vatrac will present their closing statements.