Prosecution Presents Documents on Alleged Bosnian Army Payments in Bojadzic Trial

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. They allegedly raped the detainees. Bojadzic has also been charged with other crimes in Jablanica.

At today’s hearing, prosecutor Sedin Idrizovic presented a document from the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, indicating that the archives of the Bosnian Army did not contain an order to provide compensation to Bojadzic. Idrizovic said defense witness Safet Baltic had said at the trial that a document containing an order to provide payment to Bojadzic was in the Bosnian Army’s archives.

In August 2015, Baltic said he was in charge of the foreign currency cash register at the Headquarters of the Main Command of the Bosnian Army. At that time, the defense presented Baltic with a document which indicated money and a pistol had been given to Bojadzic. Baltic confirmed that the document contained his signature, as well as the date – July 28, 1993 – when he met the defendant in Sarajevo.

Defense attorney Vasvija Vidovic said Idrizovic should have presented the document issued by the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Baltic. She said the Hague Tribunal had confiscated documents from the Bosnian Army’s archive for the case against Sefer Halilovic, the former Chief of Headquarters of the Main Command of the Bosnian Army, who was acquitted of charges of war crimes under a second instance verdict.

“Halilovic will clarify this situation,” she said.

The trial will continue on October 22.