Forensic Anthropologist Disputes Methods Used to Exhume Srebrenica Mass Graves at Mladic Trial

Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, has been charged with the genocide of approximately 7000 Bosniaks in Srebrenica. The mass killings took place in the days following the Bosnian Serb Army’s capture of Srebrenica on July 11, 1995, a town which was under UN protection.

From June to November 1996, Delpino worked on the exhumation of mass graves in Pilica and Cerska, near Zvornik. According to the indictment, these graves contained the bodies of Bosniak men from Srebrenica who were executed by Bosnian Serb Army forces in July 1995.

Testifying via video link from the United States, Delpino said that the clothes found in one of the graves was thrown away upon on the orders of team leader William Haglund, although identification documents could have been in them.

“Haglund believed that the clothes weren’t associated with the bodies. In my opinion, you have to save all of the evidence. That’s what I told him and we had a misunderstanding,” Delpino said.

He said a large amount of clothing wasn’t discarded, although it was still “not in accordance with [best] practices.” He said he couldn’t say whether the clothes were civilian or military in nature.

Delipino said Haglund “played for the media,” and endangered the scientific nature of the exhumations. He claimed that Delpino “capriciously slowed down or sped up the work.”

While being cross-examined by prosecutor Peter McCloskey, Delpino confirmed that the minimum number of victims in the grave he exhumed was 132. He also confirmed that many of bodies were blindfolded or had wire tied around their arms.

Delpino asked if he was surprised that DNA analysis from five graves in Pilica led to the identification of more than 1,700 people. Delpino said he wasn’t surprised and that he was “glad to hear it.”

Presiding judge Alphons Orie asked Delpino whether throwing out clothes found in the graves affected the final findings of the exhumations. Delpino said they didn’t, but said the results could have been better if the clothes were kept.

“In general, the results reflected what happened in that place. The work was very precisely done,” Delpino said.

Mladic has also been charged with the persecution of Bosniaks and Croats throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, terrorizing civilians in Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.

The trial will continue on December 7.