Witness under Severe Trauma

Presenting her findings and opinion about witness Dzananovic’s health condition before the District Court in Eastern Sarajevo, court expert Alma Bravo-Mehmedbasic said that the witness showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD.

“The witness had PTSD. He still has it, but its intensity has decreased. It was caused by a wartime trauma,” the court expert said, adding that after having spoken to him, she determined that he was still capable of testifying.

Dzananovic testified on May 27, when he said that his father was killed and that he was wounded in August 1992.

According to the Eastern Sarajevo District Prosecution’s charges, Dragisa Cacic, Milenko Cacic and Vojo Motika, former members of the Military Post in Rogatica, killed one person and wounded a child in the vicinity of Starcici village on August 8, 1992.

The court expert said that the witness, who was 13 at the time, suffered torture after having been shot at and captured.

“A 13-year old child can remember everything. That is an early adolescence period. Trauma experienced during early adolescence is considered more devastating,” Bravo-Mehmedbasic explained.

Prosecutor Mirza Hukeljic presented 22 pieces of material evidence, including decisions, declaring the beginning and end of the state of war, court experts’ findings, as well as documents related to exhumation and autopsy of the killed Midhat Dzananovic. The Defence will express their potential objections to the evidence at a later stage.

The trial is due to continue on September 16, when a status conference will be held on the eve of presentation of the Defence’s evidence.