Witness Describes Murder of Detained Civilian at Milosevic Trial
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Milosevic has been charged with killing civilian Nedzad Korajcevic on February 8, 1995. Korajcevic had been forced to perform forced labour on the frontlines on Mount Treskavica in the municipality of Trnovo.
Witness Salko Aletovic told the district court of Eastern Sarajevo that he performed forced labour for the military in 1994 and 1995. He said on the day of Korajcevic’s murder, he was digging trenches. Two civilians who were members of the work squad ran away. Aletovic said the remaining civilians were then told to get into a trench.
“There were one or two people between me and Korajcevic. Then I heard a thud followed by a burst of gunfire. I saw he had been killed and I saw smoke coming out of the rifle. He [Milosevic] was jumping around, asking for more ammunition. The others didn’t give it to him, telling him he had killed an unarmed man,” Aletovic said.
According to Aletovic, Milosevic then cursed the prisoners’ “Turkish mothers” and said “See how Milosevic kills?”
Aletovic said he didn’t see Korajcevic get shot, but saw smoke coming out of Milosevic’s rifle.
He said one of the soldiers gave them a blanket, so they could cover Korajcevic’s body. He said none of the other soldiers on the trenches approved of Korajcevic’s murder.
“He was in military uniform. He was young and handsome. Up until that moment he had been a good man. He had a knife and a rifle…He was jumping around like a rabbit. He was glad for having killed the man,” Aletovic said.
Aletovic confirmed having recognized Milosevic in a photo which investigative bodies presented to him on his front yard. He described Milosevic as a young man between the age of 19-21.
Defense attorney Vesna Tupajic-Skiljevic said that in a statement he previously gave to the State Investigation and Protection Agency, Aletovic said Milosevic had brown or black hair.
“I never said he had black hair. I said blondish-brown. I recognized him in the photo,” Aletovic said.
He said he was the most handsome guard that day, and said he recognized him because of his good looks.
The trial will continue on October 28.
