A witness at the war crimes trial of ex-fighter Zoran Dragicevic testified that paramilitaries robbed, abducted and brutally assaulted him in Sarajevo in 1992.
As agreed at a status conference held before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the trial of Zoran Dragicevic for crimes in Grbavica, Vraca and Kovacici in 1992 is due to begin on February 27 with the reading of the indictment and the presentation of the State Prosecutions introductory statement.
On the third day of presentation of its closing statement the Defence of Veselin Batko Vlahovic, who is charged with crimes in Sarajevo, analyses the counts, which, in the opinion of the Defence, the Prosecution has not managed to prove.
The State Prosecution believes they have proven that Veselin Vlahovic known as Batko is guilty of all offences, as outlined in the indictment. They stated, furthermore, that even the highest sentence possible for these offences is not sufficient to punish Vlahovic for the reign of terror he brought to the Sarajevo neighborhoods of Grbavica, Vraca and Kovacici in 1992.
The State Prosecution requested that the custody of Zoran Dragicevic, accused of crimes in the Sarajevo neighborhoods of Grbavica, Kovacic and Vraca, be extended. The Defence sought release.
In their closing statement the BiH prosecution stressed that, during his 16-month long trial, the indictment's statements on war crimes committed by Veselin Vlahovic in Grbavica, Kovacic and Vraca in 1992 had been proven.
The witness for Radovan Karadzics defence denied that Bosniaks and Croats were expelled from the Sarajevo neighbourhood of Grbavica in the autumn of 1992.
Two more former officers of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS say at the trial of Radovan Karadzic that their units, whose positions were located around Sarajevo, did not open artillery or sniper fire at civilians in the city.