Nothing Unusual in Petkovci
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Mihajlo Galic, former Assistant Commander for morale and religious issues with the Sixth Battalion of Zvornik Brigade with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, said that he stayed in Petkovci briefly on July 15, 1995, but he did not notice captives and corpses.
I did not see anything that looked unusual, the witness said, adding that he briefly entered the Battalion Command building, but he did not see Stanisic and Milosevic.
The witness mentioned that, about ten days later he found out from the media that captives were brought to Petkovci. Responding to Defences questions, Galic said that he had not heard that the Sixth Battalions Command had anything to do with captives.
Stanisic and Milosevic are on trial for the murder of about 1,000 captives from Srebrenica committed on a dam, near Petkovci village in mid-July 1995.
According to the charges, Stanisic was Commander of the Sixth Battalion of Zvornik Brigade with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, based in Petkovci, while Milosevic was his Deputy.
Galic said that, on July 15 he went from Petkovci to the front line with the task of boosting soldiers morale. He said that the Battalions Command decided that everybody should be on the front lines, so soldiers would feel safer.
He told the Court that soldiers told him that indictee Milosevic was wounded on the front line in the period between July 12 and 20, 1995.
As he said, he went from Petkovci to the front line on July 14 too, adding that he left the front line in the afternoon hours and headed home in Kozluk.
The witness rejected the allegation that he used a vehicle that belonged to the Sixth Battalion while traveling from Petkovci to the Brigades military barracks in the vicinity of Zvornik on that day. The witness was not able to explain the fact that a travel authorisation indicated that he used a vehicle that belonged to the Sixth Battalion.
Another State Prosecution witness – Zivorad Jovanovic was supposed to testify at this hearing, but the Trial Chamber interrupted his examination, because he had difficulties answering questions.
As everyone can see, we are obviously not able to establish contact with the witness in order to conduct his examination, said Trial Chamber Chairman Stanisa Gluhajic.
It was previously said that witness Jovanovic had had a stroke.
The trial is due to continue on April 30.
