Nedzad Hodzic’s Temporary Insanity

Kucukalic said that Hodzic, former member of “Zulfikar” Unit with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, was not capable of participating in the trial. As he explained, the indictee had brain injuries and was a mentally ill person.

Kucukalic presented his findings that Hodzic was not capable of following the trial back in 2009, when he conducted two expert examinations of Hodzic.

Psychiatrist Omer Cemalovic, who too conducted an expert examination of the indictee, came to a different conclusion. He said that Hodzic was capable of following the trial, adding that, due to his simulative behaviour, he was not able to determine whether he suffered from mental disturbances.

As said by Vasvija Vidovic, Defence attorney of indictee Nihad Bojadzic, other court experts examined Hodzic in the detention unit and determined that his behaviour was simulative.

However, according to Kucukalic’s findings, it was not possible to make an objective finding by examining persons like Hodzic in detention units. As he said, in order to examine Hodzic’s capability of following the trial, the best thing was to conduct several examinations at a hospital.

Hodzic is charged, along with Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Nihad Bojadzic, Zulfikar Alispago, former members of “Zulfikar” Unit, and Senad Hakalovic, former member of the 45th Brigade of ABiH, with the murder of Croats in Trusina village committed on April 16, 1993.

Midhat Koco, Defence attorney of Hodzic, requested the Trial Chamber to approve an expert examination of Hodzic at the Sarajevo Clinic, where he would be under observation for a few days.

Trial Chamber Chairwoman Zeljka Marenic responded by saying that she would decide about the request following the examination of expert witness Alma Bravo, which is due to take place at the next hearing on December 9.