Hakalovic’s Defence Presents Evidence

The Prosecution and Defence of Zulfikar Alispago objected to the evidence, while the four other defence teams did not.

Defence attorney Kadrija Kolic presented birth certificates of the indictee’s children and brothers, as well as verdicts against Sead Hakalovic and Rasema Handanovic for war crimes.

“We want to prove that Senad was married before the war and that he has several brothers, who have the same father – Zajim Hakalovic,” Kolic said.

He also pointed to Court’s conclusions related to the conflict between the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatian Defence Council, HVO, in a verdict, acquitting Sead Hakalovic of the charges that he committed crimes in March 1993.

Kolic mentioned a conclusion contained in a verdict, sentencing Rasema Handanovic to five and a half years in prison for crimes in Trusina. The conclusion says that “the group was under the ‘Zulfikar’ Unit’s command”.
The Defence of Alispago, who was allegedly Commander of the “Zulfikar” Unit with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, objected to these allegations.

“This is the first time such an allegation has been made. We would like the issue to be discussed. One can make all sorts of conclusions on the basis of the verdict. It is known that there were several units,” Defence attorney Bajro Cilic said.

Prosecutor Vesna Budumir objected to the evidence presented by Hakalovic’s Defence, saying that they were irrelevant.

Hakalovic, former soldier with the 45th Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is charged with crimes in Trusina, along with five members of “Zulfikar” Squad, namely Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Nedzad Hodzic, Nihad Bojadzic and Zulfikar Alispago.

According to the charges, 18 Croat civilians and four captured members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, were killed in that village on April 16, 1993.

The trial is due to continue following the summer break, on August 28.