Statement From Mentally Ill Witness Read in Sanski Most Trial
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The state prosecution has charged Goran Mrdja, Milorad Mrdja, Ranko Mrdja and Mile Kokot with participating in crimes against Bosniak victims, including acts of murder, rape, assault, theft and other forms of mental and physical abuse in the Sanski Most area from 1992 to 1994.
The indictment alleges they committed these crimes as members of the Sixth Sanska Infantry Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army.
At today’s hearing, court expert Evresa Okanovic described her findings on the mental health of a protected witness in the case.
“Her schizophrenia began 10, 11 years ago, maybe even before that. The psychopathic characteristics are delusions, hallucinations and a range of other symptoms. She is incapable of testifying. She was incapable during the investigation as well,” Okanovic said.
Okanovic said the witness refused to undergo medical examination and observation, as well as an interview. She said she prepared her findings on the basis of old medical documentation.
Okanovic said it was possible that the witness could have describe the relevant events truthfully in a previous statement in 2014, but she already had a diagnosis.
According to her statement from 2014, which the state prosecution read, the witness said she heard defendant Goran Mrdja killed her husband while he was digging trenches on Grabez.
She said she was at Hasib Velic’s home when two soldiers broke into the house and demanded money and jewellery.
“They began beating my father-in-law. Hasib and Saida were in another room…One of them proceeded to that room…A gunshot was heard and they ran away. Something was banging outside, so I assumed somebody else was there,” the statement reads.
According to the statement, they found Hasib dead in a field on the following day. The witness said she noticed he had been shot in the head.
“According to rumours there were four of them and they entered 15 houses that night. They mentioned Goran Mrdja and some others,” the witness said in her statement.
The defense teams objected to the reading of the statement, arguing that the witness was a mentally ill patient.
The prosecution also included about 40 pieces of material evidence in the case file at this hearing. Goran Mrdja’s defense objected to relevance and lawfulness of some of the evidence.
The trial will continue on March 17.
