Prosecution Fails to Share Maps with Witness Prior to Hearing, Trial Postponed

The trial chamber interrupted the testimony of a witness testifying at the trial of four former members of the Bosnian Army, since the state prosecution didn’t provide the witness with maps which were featured in his examination.

Defendants Muhamed Sisic, Tarik Sisic, Emir Drakovac and Aziz Susa have been charged with participating in an attack on a civilian convoy in Kukavice in Rogatica on August 27, 1992. At least 20 Serbs were killed and several more were wounded as a result of the attack.

Muhamed Sisic was the commander of the Commando Squad of the Kukavicka Company of the Bosnian Army, while the other defendants were members of that unit.

Abduselam Sijercic, the former commander of the 31st Drinska Brigade of the Bosnian Army, was scheduled to testify at today’s hearing.

Prosecutor Mirza Hukeljic asked Sijercic about the brigade’s responsibility in the attack, since he was responsible for commanding certain locations in the Rogatica area. He was also presented Sijercic with a map of the area, which he had not seen prior to the hearing.

Trial chamber chair Davorin Jukic told the prosecutor that he should provide witnesses with maps prior to their testimonies, in order familiarize themselves with them and to be able to show locations on maps.

“We now do not know what to ask the witness. We cannot associate those areas and those zones of responsibilities,” Jukic said.

Hukeljic agreed to share the maps with Sijercic. He will testify again on September 8.