Victim Killed by Crossfire, Says Witness in Kucice Murder Case

Ranko Rakic, Zeljko Rakic and Marko Stankovic, all former members of the Bosnian Serb Army, have been charged with the murder of Zuhra Husanovic in the village of Kucice, in the municipality of Zavidovici, in late August or early September 1992.

Defense witness Bozica Kostadinovic testified at today’s hearing. She said that during the war she worked in a military kitchen in the area. In the summer of 1992, she heard about Husanovic’s killing from soldiers.

According to Kostadinovic, Rasim Husanovic came to the kitchen the day after his wife’s death. She said Husanovic told her his wife had been killed.

“Rasim never said someone was responsible for it. How could he say that when there was shooting…several villagers were killed during those days. We had to hide between houses because it wasn’t safe. So the dead were mostly buried at night. I heard from Dimitrije Ristic that he and two other neighbours helped Rasim bury his wife,” Kostadinovic said.

Testimony from Dimitrije Ristic, who died before the trial began, was read at today’s hearing. In his statement, given in 2013, he said Rasim Husanovic told him his wife had been killed.

“Rasim told me Zuhra was hit by a sniper and said he carried the body from a field. He asked me to help him because we were neighbours. I saw the wound on her occiput and I didn’t look at the body. We buried her the next day and Dragomir Kostadinovic helped us,” the statement reads.

The trial continues on July 27.