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Kravica: Elementary School Teacher as a Witness

28 November 2007  Witnesses speak about the personalities of the three indictees who are charged with genocide in Srebrenica.

At the trial of the 11 persons charged with genocide committed in Srebrenica, witnesses invited by the Defence teams of Branislav Medan, Milovan Matic and Petar Mitrovic spoke about the indictees' personalities and their relations with their neighbours and friends.

The Prosecution considers the 11 indictees responsible for the shooting of more than 1,000 Bosniaks in Kravica village on July 13, 1995.

Branislav Medan's Defence witnesses - Drazen Buhac and Mirsad Kusturica - said they had known the indictee since early eighties. They have been "in close contact" from that time and they have regularly visited each other for holidays. They both pointed out that Medan was "a good friend and neighbour".

"Bane was my best man and my son's godfather. I would not have spent time with him had he not been a good person. He used to donate blood to my mother and my father-in-law," said witness Mirsad Kusturica. Medan's Defence attorney Borislav Jamina presented his blood donations card to prove this statement.

Witnesses Pajo Milic, Sredoje Nikolic and Milka Vasic, who testified in favour of Milovan Matic, described the indictee as a "cheerful man who loved spending time in coffee shops, who loved women, company and music". They also said that, during the war, Matic "collected" humanitarian aid for "people in Bosnia".

"I simply cannot believe that Milovan is indicted. He did all he could for the welfare of all people," said Sredoje Nikolic.

Jovan Badco and Mile Milosavljevic, policemen from Srebrenica, were invited to the hearing by Petar Mitrovic's defence attorneys. They met the indictee in 2005, when they delivered him a summons to report to the Public Safety Centre in Bijeljina.

"When I drove him to Bijeljina, the commander told me to wait for two hours. After that, they told me I could go as Mitrovic was going to stay there until further notice," said Jovan Badzo.

Nada Josipovic, Mitrovic's schoolteacher, said she remembered the first generation of schoolchildren, to which Petar also belonged.

"I was his teacher in the third and fourth grade. I know he had difficulties remembering the songs, and he had big problems with mathematics," explained Josipovic during the direct examination.

"Nowadays, such a child would have to attend a special school, but it was not possible to organise that at that time," said the witness in response to the prosecutor's questions.

Mitrovic's Defence attorneys presented, as material evidence, an elementary school certificate which indicates that Petar Mitrovic attended the seventh and eighth grade of elementary school part time and graduated with the lowest positive marks.

Dragan Sreckovic, a driving instructor, also testified as Mitrovic's Defence witness. He pointed out that the indictee was never able to obtain a driver's license, and, after attempting to pass the exam for five times, he gave up.

"I know he took lessons in three or four different driving schools before coming to me. I invested a lot of efforts in his lessons, but I think that his mental capacity was too weak to remember all that,"
said Sreckovic.

The trial is due to continue on December 5, when Milos Stupar's Defence witnesses shall appear before the court.