Scuk’s Retrial

Following the reading of the indictment and presentation of introductory statements, Defence witness Marinko Skobic was examined. Skobic was President of the Commission for War Crimes during the war. Later on he was Director of the Center for Research and Documentation of the Herceg-Bosna Croatian Community.

“I got an idea to write a book about suffering of Croats, but I have not written one single line in that book. Hundreds of statements and criminal reports, which do not have any legal validity, have passed through the Centre. The book does not suggest the existence of any type of legal responsibility,” the witness said.

One of the statements cited in the book mentions the name of Bahrudin Scuk, the indictee’s late brother, as a perpetrator of crimes at Stipici locality.

When asked by Defence attorney Almin Dautbegovic whether the documents, which they collected at that time, led them to Zehrudin Scuk’s name, Skobic said that he did not know how they came to the name Bahrudin and not Zehrudin.

“I did not participate in writing of that book. You have to understand the situation in which the documentation was collected. It was the time of war. None of us had access to the areas affected by the war. We received information from people, who managed to break through to the free territory. There was no way to check the information we received,” the witness explained.

Scuk is charged with the murder of Iva Pavlovic in Krkaca hamlet on July 28, 1993.

In its closing statement the Prosecution requested the Court to pronounce Scuk guilty of this crime, while the Defence called for a verdict of release, saying that somebody wanted to impute the crime committed by someone else.

The Cantonal Court in Mostar scheduled the pronouncement of the verdict for April 17.