Former Soldier Says He Didn’t See Stanisic on Frontlines Following Fall of Srebrenica

Ostoja Stanisic and Marko Milosevic are on trial for the murder of approximately 1000 captured Srebrenica civilians on a dam near Petkovci in mid-July 1995. The civilians had previously been detained in a new school building in Petkovci. Stanisic was the commander of the Sixth Battalion of the Zvornicka Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, which was based in Petkovci, while Milosevic was his deputy.

Ivan Mitrovic, a former member of the Sixth Battalion of the Zvornicka Brigade with the Bosnian Serb Army, testified at today’s hearing. Mitrovic said he used to see defendant Milosevic on the frontlines following the fall of Srebrenica on July 11, 1995, but not Stanisic.

Stanisic commented on a statement he gave during the investigation phase of the cause, in which he said Stanisic was in Petkovci at the Battalion Command after the fall of Srebrenica.

“I said he was in Petkovci, because the command was in Petkovci. I don’t know exactly where he was,” Mitrovic said.

Mitrovic said other soldiers told him captives were brought to the new school building in Petkovci and were killed at a dam nearby. He said he didn’t know who participated in the killing.

The prosecution invited Savo Stevanovic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb Army, to testify as an additional witness. During his examination, Stevanovic denied having ever been the commander of the Interventions Squad of the Sixth Battalion of the Bosnian Serb Army.

“I know, I heard what the Interventions Squad was, but I wasn’t in it,” Stevanovic said. He said he was a member of a unit called the “Convicts Squad.”

He said the squad consisted of soldiers from the Sixth Battalion who had disobeyed orders and fled their posts. Stevanovic said he was wounded in the field in the Trnovo area on June 21, 1995. He said he was admitted to a hospital and then discharged to undergo treatment at home. After his recovery, he said he was transferred to a rear unit of the Zvornicka Brigade.

Stevanovic disagreed with claims made by prosecutor Predrag Tomic, who said official documents indicated his injuries weren’t severe. Tomic also presented Stevanovic with a record of who was on staff at the brigade, which indicated he was on sick leave until July 14, 1995, and then was on duty as a squad commander.

Stevanovic said he was still at home on sick leave on July 14, 1995.

“I’m not saying I wasn’t present. I don’t know who kept the records. It could have been anyone,” he said.

Prosecutor Predrag Tomic said witnesses saw him in front of the new school building in Petkovci around that date. Stevanovic insisted that his testimony was true and that he was on sick leave. He said he only visited the new school building when he stayed overnight there before being deployed to the field.

Former Soldier Says He Didn’t See Stanisic on Frontlines Following Fall of Srebrenica

The trial will continue on January 13, 2016.