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At the end of his cross-examination witness Kovacevic, the then Commander of one of the Bratunac Brigade companies of VRS, stuck to his allegation that, one day after the fall of Srebrenica he did not see any abuse of Muslim civilians or separation of men from women and children in Potocari.
He repeated that, on July 12, 1995 he briefly met general Mladic in Potocari and that Mladic instructed him to leave the village with his unit.
As he said, at that time Mladic’s subordinates “ran away from him like the devil from a cross”, so his company withdrew behind a building and then into the woods.
According to the charges, individual murders of Srebrenica Muslims began in Potocari on July 12, 1995, while mass murders were committed at several locations in Zvornik municipality until July 16, 1995.
The Hague process against general Mladic is due to continue on August 25, when the Defence will present the judges with its next witness.
So far 31, out of 300 announced witnesses, have testified in Mladic’s defence.
At the end of the session today presiding judge Alfons Orie warned the Defence that a good part of the testimonies was “of a problematic relevance” and “probative value” in regard to the indictment.
Mladic is charged with genocide in Srebrenica, persecution of Muslims and Croats throughout BiH, which reached the scale of genocide in seven municipalities, terror against civilians in Sarajevo and taking UNRPOFOR members hostage.
