Expert Examination of Hodzic at Hospital following Three Years in Detention
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The Trial Chamber rendered this decision after having examined court expert in medical issues Alma Bravo-Mehmedbasic in the courtroom.
Hodzic is supposed to stay at a hospital, most probably the Clinical Centre of the Sarajevo University, for about a week. He has been held in custody for three years and a few months.
During that time he has undergone several expert examinations, but he has never been under a longer observation at a hospital.
Neuro-psychiatrist Bravo-Mehmedbasic was member of a team of experts, along with Omer Cemalovic and Senadin Ljubovic, who analyzed Hodzic, former member of “Zulfikar” Squad with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, in April this year.
They determined that the indictee deliberately simulated while responding to their questions. As said by Bravo-Mehmedbasic, he did not know some basic things, but he did not some complex ones.
She said that they mentioned in their findings that his behavior prevented them from making an objective conclusion.
As she said, her subjective opinion was that the indictee deliberately wanted to present himself as sicker than he really was.
“We were not able to determine, through examinations in the Detention Unit, to what extent Nedzad Hodzic was really damaged,” Bravo-Mehmedbasic explained.
According to her testimony, hospital examinations will precisely show his head injuries, as well as “to what extent he is simulating or not”.
When asked why they failed to mention, in their findings, that hospital examinations would yield more quality results, Bravo-Mehmedbasic said that they gave up on that due to his dominant simulative behavior.
During a hearing held last week, on December 2, court expert Abdulah Kucukalic said that Hodzic was not capable of participating in the court proceeding, adding that he considered him insane.
Hodzic is on trial, along with Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Nihad Bojadzic and Zulfikar Alispago, former members of “Zulfikar” Unit, and Senad Hakalovic, former member of the 45th Brigade of ABiH, for crimes in Trusina on April 16, 1993.
Hodzic is on trial, in a separate case, for having committed crimes against Croat and Serb civilians on Mount Igman.
The trial continuation date will be set at a later stage.
