Samardzija: Condemnation of the crime
10 September 2008 A video statement made during the first instance trial of indictee Marko Samardzija is reviewed.
In a continuation of the
retrial of Marko Samardzija, a video recording of the statement made by
the indictee given during the first instance trial was heard. He claims that he ''never
participated in the capturing and the murders'.'
Marko Samardzija was originally convicted in front of the State Court and sentenced to 26 years behind bars for crimes against humanity in the Kljuc area. The judgment was revoked in May 2007 by the Court's Appellate council and a retrial was ordered.
According to the claims in the indictement, Samardzija, as a
commander of the Third company of the Sanica
battalion in Republika Srpska, on July 10 1992 in the village of Biljani,
ordered that all of the Bosniak population leave their houses after which they
were directed toward the local school, in which Bosniak civilians were held and
murdered.
Samardzija admitted that
he took the civilians from Biljani village to the school but just because he
had ''orders to take them there because free movement licences would be given to them there''.
Upon arrival to the
Biljani school, the indictee said he came across a large number of reserve
soldiers and military police members who forced Bosniaks into the school, while he left the area in
order to ''contact the command in order to help these captured people.''
''I am a living legend
of Biljani village and I was a teacher there for many years. I love all the
Biljani villagers like my own children, and if I knew what will happen that day
I would send my company to defend these people, but I didn't know,'' stated
Samardzija.
Zlatko Knezevic, part of the defence for the indictee, told the Appellate council that a new defence witness
will appear on the next date of summoning.
This witness did not give
a statement during the first instance trial because he asked for a closed session
and the public to be excluded due to ''fear for his own life''. The Appellate council
will consider his request and make a decision on eventual protection measures.
The retrial is due to continue on September 12 2008.
Justice Report is a
specialist reporting agency focusing on war crimes trials taking place before
local courts; development of the local legal system; and efforts to come to
terms with the past.
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Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
The opinions expressed in Balkan Insight are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
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