Klickovic et al: Preoccupied with Military Actions
07 September 2010 As it continued presenting material evidence at the trial for crimes committed in Bosanska Krupa, Jovan Ostojic’s Defence said their client was not informed about the murder of men in the “Petar Kocic” school building in the town.
The Defence of Jovan Ostojic, former Commander of the 11th Krupa Light Infantry Brigade of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, included more than 60 combat reports in the case file, including one made in August 1992, indicating there “were no unusual events” in the field.
“Security bodies exchanged information about arrests and prisoners of war with each other. They informed their commands only when they considered it necessary,” third indictee Ostojic said, explaining why he was not informed as to whether certain crimes had been committed in the field.
Jovan Ostojic, Gojko Klickovic, former President of the wartime Presidency of the Serb municipality of Bosanska Krupa and Commander of the municipality's Crisis Committee, and Mladen Drljaca, former Chairman of the Temporary Court Martial’s Chamber, are charged with crimes committed in 1992.
The Prosecution alleges that the indictees were responsible for murder, forcible resettlement, detention, torture and other crimes committed against the non-Serb population of Bosanska Krupa.
The combat report prepared by the 11th Krupa Brigade on August 3, 1992, which the third indictee’s Defence included in the case file, mentions that “the enemy” attacked Krupa, wounding and killing civilians and soldiers.
“The report proves that battles were conducted on that day, which confirms our thesis that Ostojic was preoccupied with military activities and thus did not have time to investigate rumours,” the third indictee’s Defence attorney, Milan Romanic, said.
Some Prosecution witnesses and the Defence said that people in Bosanska Krupa did not talk much about the detention of Bosniaks in various buildings or the murder of men in the “Petar Kocic” school building.
The indictment alleges that Joja Plavanjac killed a group of Bosniak male detainees some time between August 1 and 12, 1992. It further alleges that, during the course of 1992 the non-Serb population was detained in school buildings in Jasenica and Bosanska Krupa, from where they were then transferred to the detention camp of the Second Krajina Corps located in Kamenica.
Jovan Ostojic’s Defence said that Joja Plavanjac was not a member of the 11th Krupa Brigade. It presented combat reports made by the Second Krajina Corps in July and August 1992, which indicate, as stated by Romanic, that the Corps and the 11th Krupa Brigade were not informed about the transport of prisoners from Krupa to Kamenica.
The trial is due to continue on September 14.
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.
Read more
TRIAL: A Slap in the Face of Justice Expectations
Bosnian authorities have failed to provide access to justice and reparations for thousands of victims of rape and other sexual violence – says a report carried out by the Swiss organisation TRIAL.
Read more
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
Komentari:
Nema komentara.