Order to Capture UNPROFOR Members

Cross-examining Defence witness Vladimir Radojcic at Ratko Mladic’s trial, Hague prosecutors say that he gave “a biased” statement in order to defend Mladic from the accusations.

Former colonel with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, Radojcic denied that.
 
“I have come here with an honest intention to tell the truth,” said Radojcic, who previously said that he ordered the shelling of a TV building in Sarajevo.
 
Radojcic said that, in his capacity as Commander of the Ilidza Brigade of VRS, he conveyed to UN “blue helmets” in May 1995 that they were captured after NATO had conducted airstrikes against Serb forces and their buildings.
 
“I received an order to put them under control as prisoners of war, because they became our enemies in the war with NATO,” the witness said.
 
He indicated that he carried out the order in a peaceful manner and in agreement with UNPROFOR chiefs.
 
“I made sure that they would be safe in that situation, which was characterised by tensions among civilians and Brigade members, which could have led to incidents,” the witness said.
 
Mladic, who was VRS Commander during the Bosnian war, is charged, among other things, with having terrorised the local population in Sarajevo through an artillery and sniper campaign and having taken UNPROFOR members hostage. He is also on trial for genocide in Srebrenica and seven other municipalities as well as the persecution of Bosniaks and Croats.
 
During the cross-examination Prosecutor Dermot Groome suggested that Radojcic deliberately omitted the part of his statement indicating that Ratko Mladic issued the order to capture the international soldiers, although he said that while testifying at the trial of Radovan Karadzic, former President of Republika Srpska, two years ago.
 
The witness denied the allegation, saying that it was “a mistake” and that “there is no reason for removing it”, because Mladic himself publicly confirmed that he issued the order to capture UNPROFOR members. Also, he said that he did not mention Mladic as the person, who issued the order, because he received the order indirectly via the Command of the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps of VRS.
 
Prosecutor Groome also denied Radojcic’s allegation that the Ilidza Brigade of VRS was under a double “blockade” by the Army of BiH in the Sarajevo surroundings. According to the witness’ testimony, “between 45,000 and 120,000” members of the First Corps of the Army of BiH were present at the Sarajevo battlefield. Also, he said that “the majority of the forces were in the city, while the other part was behind our back.”
 
When asked to show “the blockade” on a map, Radojcic corrected himself and said that his unit was “under a semi-blockade”.
 
The trial of Mladic is due to continue on Friday, June 27.