Witness Describes Expulsion and Execution of Srebrenica Civilians

The witness, Nedjo Jovicic, testified at the trial of Miodrag Josipovic, Branimir Tesic, Dragomir Vasic, Danilo Zoljic and Radomir Pantic, who’ve been charged with genocide in Srebrenica. They allegedly participated in the forced resettlement of the local population of Srebrenica, separating men from their families, as well as capturing and executing men and boys.

According to the charges, at the time Josipovic was the chief of the Bratunac public safety station, while Tesic was the deputy commander of the Bratunac police station. Vasic was the commander of the Zvornik police headquarters. Zoljic was the commander of special units of the Bratunac public safety station and Pantic was the commander of the First Company of the special units.

Jovicic told the trial chamber he’d driven special police forces commander Ljubomir Borovcanin to Bratunac and Srebrenica in July 1995 after they had been informed that Srebrenica had fallen. The Hague Tribunal sentenced Borovcanin to 17 years in prison for his involvement in the Srebrenica genocide.

Jovicic said he saw police officers, soldiers and UNPROFOR soldiers next to a yellow bridge in the area on July 11, 1995. Jovicic said he drove Borovcanin to Potocari on the following day. He said he saw Bosnian Serb Army general Ratko Mladic during this trip as well. Mladic is on trial for his role in the Srebrenica genocide and other crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to Jovicic, Mladic ordered some police forces to go to Zvornik and others to Potocari to help UNPROFOR and the Bosnian Serb Army evacuate the local population. Jovicic said Borovcanin acted upon Mladic’s orders, and were sent to Potocari.

“I saw a crowd of people, civilians, in Potocari. UNPROFOR, members of the army and police were there. Then buses also arrived. The situation was totally chaotic,” Jovicic said. He said he saw military police officers separate some of the Bosniaks and take them aside.

Jovicic said he drove Borovcanin from Bratunac to Konjevic Polje on July 13, 1995. He said he saw members of the Bosnian Army surrender in Sandici, where he saw Ratko Mladic again. He said on the same day, Borovcanin was told that a police officer had been killed and another wounded in Kravica. They then went to the agricultural cooperative in Kravica.

“I saw a horrible scene there. Piles of corpses in front of the cooperative,” Jovicic recalled.

Jovicic said he then drove Borovcanin and the wounded police officer to Bratunac. He then returned to Kravica, where he saw two soldiers shooting.

“At that moment two captives came out and began running towards me. They were hit, and I, luckily, stayed alive,” Jovicic said.

Jovicic’s examination will continue on August 27.