Indictees Brkan and Macic Testify

Ibro Macic, who testified in defence of indictee Osman Brkan, said that he had known Brkan since his birth. The two of them were recruited by the Territorial Defence, TO, and were together in Blace village, near Konjic.

“I had a gun. An old rusty one, I think. (…) Osman Brkan did not shoot in the direction of the old women. He was standing with me in the corridor,” Macic said, adding that men named Seho Macic, Salko Macic and Kolumbo shot at them.

Testifying at this trial in September this year, Seho Macic said that Osman Brkan opened fire towards the place, where the old women were lying. His brother Salko Macic testified in July 2013. He said that indictee Ibro Macic shot at the old women in Blace village and that he did not see indictee Brkan inside the house.

Osman Brkan and Ibro Macic, former members of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, are charged with murders of four old Serb women in Blace village in June 1992. According to the charges, Macic was the first one who opened fire, followed by Brkan. The bodies of the killed women have still not been found.

At the beginning of November, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina separated the case against Osman Brkan. The presentation of Defence’s evidence is currently underway at that trial. As far as the trial against Ibro Macic is concerned, the State Prosecution continues presenting evidence related to other crimes charged upon Macic.

Indictee Osman Brkan testified in his defence at his trial today. He said that he did not know why they went to Blace under the command of a Mirsad Fisic.

“Seho shot at them, but he blamed it on me. He had to blame somebody in order to defend himself,” Brkan said, adding that Seho Macic “ran away from him in Konjic”.

When asked by Prosecutor Sanja Jukic why Seho Macic said that Brkan shot at them, while his brother Salko Macic did not say that, Brkan responded: “Salko does not want to lie. He is better for me”.

Osman Brkan said that he did not shoot and that he did not see whether Ibro Macic did. Unlike Macic, he said that he did not even enter the corridor of the house, where the old women were. When asked which one of them was telling the truth, Brkan said: “I did not see the old women”.

He said that, only after having returned from Blace, he heard what had happened.

The trial is due to continue on Friday, November 29.