Witness Says Bojadzic Was in Sarajevo During Alleged Rape in Jablanica
This post is also available in: Bosnian
Bojadzic, the former deputy commander of the Zulfikar Unit of the Bosnian Army, has been charged with the assault, rape and sexual abuse of Croat civilians and prisoners in Jablanica in 1993. According to the indictment, Bojadzic and an unidentified soldier abducted two female Croat detainees held in detention at the Battle of Neretva Museum in Jablanica on the night of July 28, 1993.
The state prosecution has also charged Bojadzic with war crimes committed against Croat civilians in Jablanica in July 1993, including the sexual abuse of male civilians.
A protected witness known as S-1 testified at today’s hearing. S-1, a former member of the Bosnian Army, said he spoke to Bojadzic in Sarajevo on July 28, 1993. He said he was in Sarajevo reporting to his superiors on events taking place in Igman.
S-1 said he saw Bojadzic after commander Enver Sehovic was killed. Sehovic, the former commander of the First Glorified Motorized Brigade, was killed in Zuc on July 27, 1993.
“Bojadzic came on several occasions in order to submit reports to the Corps commander…He looked a bit untidy. He a had beard, longer hair, he was rather skinny and tall,” S-1 said.
S-1 said he was “superior to Bojadzic in some way.” He said he gave him excellent reviews from February 21, 1996 to October 14, 1997.
When asked by the prosecution whether he signed those assessments during the war, S-1 said he thought he hadn’t. He said not everyone could perform a senior function within the army.
“We built a system. We appointed good quality people, because we wanted to establish a system. Thank God, we succeeded in that,” S-1 said.
The defense presented a few pieces of material evidence referring to the credibility of state prosecution witnesses and discredited portions of their testimony. The defense gave up the examination of Sefer Halilovic, a former Bosnian Army commander.
The presentation of evidence in the trial concluded. The prosecution’s closing statement has been scheduled for December 24.
