Former Zvornicka Brigade Officials Claim No Reports of Srebrenica Captives

Stanisic and Milosevic, former members of the Bosnian Serb Army, are on trial for the mass killing of approximately 1000 Srebrenica civilians on a dam near Petkovci in mid-July 1995. According to the indictment, the captives were held in Petkovci prior to being taken to the dam. The indictment alleges that Milosevic was Stanisic’s deputy.

Witness Milan Stanojevic told the trial chamber that he led approximately 200 members of the Zvornicka Brigade of the Bosnian Army to Srebrenica.

“Each battalion gave us one of its squads,” Stanojevic said. He said one of their tasks was disarming the army.

Stanojevic said that after he returned from Srebrenica, he and his soldiers went to Zepa. Stanojevic then returned to the Zvornik area, where he participated in combat operations. Stanojevic said he hadn’t heard about any captives from Srebrenica.

Stanojevic said that after he went on leave, he returned to the First Battalion of the Zvornicka Brigade, which was under his command. His subordinates informed him that they had only done defensive activities. Stanojevic said he heard later on that captives from Srebrenica had been brought to his battalion’s zone of responsibility.

Stanojevic said that during reporting meetings at the Zvornicka Brigade Command, none of the battalion commanders had been assigned any tasks with regards to captives from Srebrenica.

Stanojevic said Slavko Peric, who assisted in the security of his battalion, was found guilty of genocide under a second instance verdict. Peric was also found guilty in the mass killing of 1000 men from Srebrenica.

The second witness to testify at the hearing was Drago Bejatovic, the former commander of the Seventh Battalion with the Zvornicka Brigade. Bejatovic said he sent 30 to 40 soldiers to a military operation in Srebrenca. Bejatovic said he also sent some soldiers to Snagovo, since a breakthrough by Srebrenica residents was expected.

Bejatovic described combat with units from Tuzla which took place on July 14 or 15, 1995.

“On that day the attack lasted from 4pm to 10:40pm,” Bejatovic said.

Bejatovic said he remotely communicated with Stanisic, who was on the combat positions, during the attack.

Bejatovic also said that no mention was made of captives from Srebrenica at reporting meetings at the Zvornicka Brigade Command.

The trial will continue on June 10.