Bosniaks Blamed for Sarajevo Sniper Attacks

Ballistics expert Mile Poparic testified in Mladic’s defence at the UN-backed court in The Hague on Wednesday that Bosnian Serb forces did not fire on civilians riding in trams in Sarajevo city centre in October 1994.

Poparic said that after analysing the bullets’ trajectory, he concluded that the shots could not have come from the Metalka building, which was under Serb control, as Mladic’s indictment alleges.

“All the evidence points to this conclusion and we concluded that all three trams were shot at from the executive council building, which was under the control of the Bosnian Army,” said Poparic.

Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb army, is charged with a series of sniping and shelling incidents during the siege of Sarajevo. He is also on trial for the genocide in Srebrenica and other municipalities, persecution of Bosniaks and Croats across the country and taking UN peacekeepers hostage.

Analysing an incident in which civilians Nafa Taric and her daughter Elma were wounded by sniper fire in September 1993 while walking in the city, Poparic said that “the shooter must have fired before seeing Mrs. Taric”, because she was covered by a barricade.

Poparic did not however dispute that the woman could have been shot from a position held by Serb troops 800 metres away.

Speaking about the wounding of a 16-year-old girl called Sanela Muratovic, who was hit by a sniper’s bullet in June 1994, the defence expert said it happened because of a ricochet.

Poparic said Muratovic was walking down the street during an exchange of fire and the bullet first struck a nearby building before hitting her.

The expert also denied the prosecution claim that the bullet came from the Department for the Blind, which was held by the Bosnian Serbs, insisting that Muratovic would have been only partially visible from that spot.

The trial continues on Thursday.