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Tomic and Josic: Guarding Malesici Village

Tomic i Josic

02 December 2009  

Three witnesses, testifying for the Defence of indictee Ljubo Tomic, claim that the indictee did not leave Malesici village, in Zvornik, at the end of June 1992, because they "guarded the village while the population was moving out from Kozluk".

Witness Krsto Josic said that he was in Malesici village, together with Ljubo Tomic, three days prior to St Vitus' day (June 28) in 1992, adding that the indictee "did not leave the place".

"We somehow self-organized ourselves in Malesici village, when the population was resettled from Kozluk. Tomic belonged to some unit in Zvornik, but all members of other units came to the village in order to protect their families from various Muslims' groups," witness Josic said.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Tomic and Krsto Josic, as members of the Republika Srpska Army, with having "shot, using fire arms, at three Bosniak civilians, depriving them of their lives" in Marhosi forest in the vicinity of Kozluk, in Zvornik Municipality, on June 26, 1992.

Josic said he did not hear anything about the murders committed in Marhosi forest and that he was not aware that the remains of those people were found.  

"I do not know who controlled the Marhosi forest. We did not go to the forest, as we did not even leave the village," Josic said.

The second Defence witness, Dragan Tomic, said the indictee never showed any signs of animosity to other ethnic groups, adding that he was "a good friend" and that he was "one hundred percent sure he did not take part in the murder of the three Bosniak civilians".

"I do not know to which unit Ljubo Tomic belonged. I know it was some unit from Zvornik. In those days, when the population was resettled from Kozluk, he was with us in the village in order to protect the population. We did not leave Malesici village," Dragan Tomic said.

The third Defence witness, Dragomir Tomic, said he used to see the indictee in Malesici village "in the second half of June 1992".

"I think all of us were in the village at the time. We stood sentinel because of the danger of an attack. All sorts of things happened. I do not know if indictee Tomic left the village," Dragomir Tomic said.

This witness told the Court that Malesici village was about 15 kilometers away from Zvornik and four or five kilometers away from Kozluk. As explained by the witness, the hamlet of Tomici, as part of Malesici village, is one or two kilometers away from Kaldurani, where Marhosi forest is located.

The trial is due to continue on December 8.