Public Excluded because of Comments

Mirsada Beganovic-Zutic, Defence attorney of indictee Tasic, tells the Trial Chamber that, prior to the beginning of the hearing, Hasecic “made a comment” to witness Drago Gavrilovic, requesting the Court to remove Hasecic from the courtroom.

“While the witness was checking at the Court reception desk, Mrs. Hasecic stood behind him. She made a comment with which she might have tried to influence the witness. She said something like – what kind of court lets people like him testify,” the Defence attorney said.

She also said that it was possible that “the witness will not testify as he should” because of that comment.

During a closed part of the hearing, the Trial Chamber discussed what happened prior to the beginning of the hearing with witness Gavrilovic. After that the Chamber announced that the public would not be present in the courtroom during the witness’ testimony in order to “enable him to testify uninterruptedly”.

As she was leaving the courtroom, Hasecic, President of the Women, Victims of War association, said: “If there was justice, Drago would be put behind prison bars a long time ago.”

Gavrilovic testified at the trial of Predrag Milisavljevic, Milos Pantelic and Ljubomir Tasic, who are charged with having participated in the murders, forced resettlement of the population, detention, torture, disappearances and other inhumane acts committed in Visegrad.

The indictment alleges that Milisavljevic and Pantelic participated in the murder of several tens of Bosniak civilians near the Paklenik pit, where Milisavljevic allegedly initiated the shooting of the captives.

According to the State Court’s schedule of hearings, this trial is due to continue on September 17.