Occasional Visits to Uzice

Mirko Topalovic, indictee Sekaric’s uncle, said that the indictee visited him in Bioska village, Uzice municipality, several times. The witness said that the indictee’s first visit took place in mid-May 1992. He came with his mother, stayed for about 15 days and then returned to Gorazde.
 
“He went to Gorazde on June 7. They said that he was wounded and that he was at a hospital in Sokolac,” Topalovic said.
 
According to the witness’ testimony, on August 2 the indictee came to an airport in Ponikve by helicopter and called him over the phone, asking him to pick him up. The witness said that the indictee stayed at his place for 15 days, before going to Uzice hospital and then to Gorazde.
 
“I asked my sister where Dragan was. She said that he had gone to Gorazde. He returned about a month later and said that the Bosnian Army had expelled Serbs from Gorazde. He stayed at our place for two days,” the witness said, adding that the indictee said that he was going to Visegrad. The witness said that he visited Uzice after that as well.
 
He recalled that the indictee had heel surgery at the Uzice hospital in November 1993.
 
Sekaric, former member of the Territorial Defence, TO, and “Osvetnik” paramilitary formation, is charged with having participated in an attack on Lozje village, Gorazde municipality as well as murders, rape and physical abuse of non-Serb civilians in Visegrad. According to the charges, Sekaric committed the crimes from April 1992 and during 1993.
 
As per a request by the Court of BiH, Senad Pesto, internal medicine doctor, and Erna Suljic, neurologist and psychiatrist, presented their findings and opinion about the health condition of protected witness WG- 025 at this hearing.
 
Pesto said that the protected witness had suffered from a heart attack and that he had a blood clot in his heart. Besides that, the witness’ heart function is reduced but the court expert says that he is able to testify.
 
According to neuro-psychiatrist Suljic, the witness suffers from a permanent personality change following a catastrophic event. Also, he is being treated for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. Suljic said that the cardiological problems were related to the patient’s mental condition, but she did not specify whether he could testify or not.
 
A recording taken during the visit to the crime scene, including locations in Dusce and Kosovo Polje villages in Visegrad, was played at this hearing.
 
The trial is due to continue on November 10.