130326IT

Page 36033

1 Cross-examination by Mr. Costi:

2 Q. Good morning, Mr. Stevic.

3 A. Good morning.

4 Q. Were you a member of the SDS in the 1990s?

5 A. Yes.

6 Q. In fact, you were an active member of the SDS. In fact, you were

7 a candidate of the SDS at the first multi-party election for the Bratunac

8 municipality Assembly in November 1990; correct?

9 A. Yes. I was a president of the SDS local board in Slapasnica, I

10 was a member of the Municipal Board of Bratunac, and I was a candidate on

11 the list for deputies in the Bratunac Municipal Assembly. However, I was

12 not among the first 24 who made up a joint Assembly in Bratunac. Only

13 after the Muslims walked out of the Assembly I was elected to the

14 Municipal Assembly of Bratunac.

15 Q. And you were also member of the Serbian Municipal Assembly from

16 the very first session in December 1991; correct?

17 A. Yes.

18 Q. Thank you. And you didn't mention this in your statement, did

19 you?

20 A. Well, I didn't think that that was necessary, but it's beyond

21 dispute.

22 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] We received an interpretation that

23 he was a member of the Serbian Municipal Board, but it says the Serbian

24 Municipal Assembly of Bratunac. A Municipal Board can also mean a

25 political party board.

Page 36034

1 MR. COSTI: What I meant was the municipal -- the Serbian

2 Municipal Assembly, not the party.

3 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] The Municipal Assembly. You said

4 it correctly, but the witness is receiving wrong interpretation. So it's

5 the Municipal Assembly, and it was said a local commune. It might affect

6 the witness's answers and his credibility.

7 JUDGE KWON: In any event, do you confirm that you were a member

8 of the Municipal Assembly, Mr. Stevic?

9 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Yes, but after the Muslim

10 population had left Bratunac. Mr. President, if I could have the volume

11 turned on, Mr. President, because I'm hard of hearing a bit.

12 JUDGE KWON: I hope you are now hearing better.

13 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] It's all right now.

14 JUDGE KWON: Thank you.

15 THE INTERPRETER: Interpreter's note: Could the witness please

16 move closer to the microphone, thank you.

17 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Stevic, if you could kindly come closer to the

18 microphone so that the interpreters could hear you better. Thank you.

19 Yes, Mr. Costi, please continue.

20 MR. COSTI: Thank you, Mr. President. Can we have

21 Exhibit P03199, please.

22 Q. These are the minutes of the Serb Municipal Assembly of Bratunac

23 from 1991, 1992, and 1993, and as you can see from the page 1 in the

24 English version and page 2 in the B/C/S version, you're listed among the

25 members, number 27. It's actually probably page 3 of the B/C/S. Sorry.

Page 36035

1 A. Yes.

2 Q. And if we go to page 3 in English, and it will be page 6 in

3 B/C/S, now we see the minutes of the 13th of February, 1992, session, and

4 on the following page, the English is halfway through, page 4 in the

5 B/C/S, it's again halfway through the page, you'll see that you took the

6 floor at that session. So is it true, isn't it, that at least in

7 February 1992 you attended the Serbian Municipal Assembly of Bratunac

8 meetings?

9 A. I don't see that this is a minutes of the meeting of the Serbian

10 Assembly. It is perhaps a meeting of the SDS board in Bratunac.

11 Q. You said it at page 3 in the English version, the minutes of the

12 first regular session of the Serbian Municipal Assembly of Bratunac. In

13 any event, we can move on with you. Can you see it?

14 A. Yes, I can see my name in the last line, but the sentence is

15 incomplete.

16 Q. We probably need the page before for the B/C/S at this point,

17 which is page 6, where the minutes of that day begins.

18 MR. COSTI: Can we go to the prior page of the B/C/S, please.

19 Here we are. Yes.

20 Q. We can see the date and the heading.

21 A. Yes. One can see the date. Mr. Prosecutor, this was a long time

22 ago, and I don't have particular recollection of this.

23 Q. Very well. I'll move on. Now, on the 8th of May, you were

24 tasked together with your unit, the TO unit from Slapasnica, to take part

25 to the Glogova operation to take place the day after; correct?

Page 36036

1 A. Yes, that is correct. My village is bordering Glogova, and an

2 order was issued for them to carry an operation of disarming in Glogova,

3 and I was requested to reinforce my defence line between Slapasnica and

4 Glogova, and I acted accordingly.

5 Q. Very well. Now, during the operation when you were walking

6 towards the centre of Glogova, you captured a group of 20 Muslims that

7 were hiding in some kind of a shelter. Is it correct?

8 A. I didn't capture them personally. It was done by my fighters.

9 Of course, following an order from our superior. We had to go down to

10 the centre of Glogova so that we wouldn't have to go back through very

11 forbidding terrain. On the way, they came across a number of Muslims --

12 Q. Yes, and it is in your statement. Now, you soon after join your

13 unit who had captured these 20 men and you walk them to Glogova, to the

14 market or the shopping centre in Glogova. When you got there, you

15 ordered them to stand against the wall; correct?

16 A. That is correct, while we were waiting for our superior to come

17 and tell us what to do. At the same time, I provided protection for them

18 from any possible problems that might occur. I told them to stand

19 against the wall so that would protect them from that side, and on the

20 other side we provided protection pending the arrival of our superior who

21 would possibly question them about what was happening in Glogova.

22 Q. Mr. Stevic, I would ask you -- we'll get there, to just try to

23 focus on the question that I'm answering you -- the question that I'm

24 asking you.

25 Now, you ordered the men to stand against the wall and also to

Page 36037

1 face the wall and to keep their hands up; correct?

2 A. That is not correct.

3 Q. Now, this Court has heard the evidence of one of these 20 men,

4 Musan Talovic, that you also cite in your statement, and at P3188, which

5 is a statement, he said at paragraph 25:

6 "When we arrived to the village, it was 10.00 in the morning.

7 Stevic told us to line up against a wall and face the wall at the

8 supermarket."

9 And later on in the same paragraph:

10 "They also ordered us to put our hands up."

11 You ordered them to put their hands up and to face the wall;

12 correct?

13 A. It's not correct. First they stood against the wall, and then I

14 told them to sit down. But, please, once again I said here that there

15 were about 20 men. Nobody counted those people. It may have been 15 of

16 them or fewer than that.

17 Q. Mr. Stevic, there were actually 23 in fact. Anyway, contrary to

18 what you stayed in your statement at paragraph 22, it was

19 Najdan Mladjenovic who told you to bring these prisoners to the market

20 because they were actually commanding the TOs in this specific operation.

21 Isn't it true?

22 A. At the time, I did not know Najdan Mladjenovic at all. It was

23 impossible for him to contact us on the radio that was carried by our

24 superior in that operation.

25 MR. COSTI: Now can I have 65 ter 24845.

Page 36038

1 Q. Mr. Stevic, this is an article published on the Balkan

2 investigative reporting network web site, and it discusses the trial that

3 is currently ongoing before the Bosnian state court in Sarajevo, and it's

4 the -- it's the Mladjenovic case. It's a trial about the crimes in

5 Hranca and Glogova, and halfway through the page it says, the paragraph

6 that begins "on," it says:

7 "'On May 3, 1992, Mladjenovic carried out and took part in the

8 attack on the village of Hranca in which several Bosniak civilians were

9 imprisoned and killed, and whose houses, under his orders, were burned

10 down. Also, he commanded over the attack on the village of Glogova six

11 days later, when he issued the order that 20 Bosniak men from that

12 village be killed,' said the Prosecutor, emphasising that there were

13 underage children among the killed."

14 Now, I'm asking you again Mladjenovic was commanding the TOs in

15 Glogova and ordered you to kill these 20 men. Is it correct?

16 A. I'm not aware of that, and he didn't come to me. I didn't know

17 him. Later on, I heard in 1993 or, in fact, he was wounded in 1992, but

18 in 1993 when my unit established a communication line between Bratunac

19 and Konjevic Polje, the food warehouse was in his house and that was when

20 we first met. He originated from Hranca, and I don't know which

21 activities he was involved in. Our units were completely separate, and

22 there was no significance there.

23 Q. Let me tell you what Musan Talovic, one of the 20 men, stated

24 here, and it is again P3188, paragraph 24:

25 "Stevic contacted the Vojvoda, a man called -- contacted a

Page 36039

1 Vojvoda, a man called Najdan Mladjenovic, through his radio. I knew him

2 before the war. He lived about 2 kilometres from my house. We could

3 hear the conversation and Stevic asked Vojvoda what to do with the 23

4 Balijas. Vojvoda told him to bring us to the centre of Glogova in front

5 of the supermarket."

6 And then at paragraph 31:

7 "The Vojvoda ordered Dragan to execute the rest of us. He said

8 to Dragan, 'Executioner of the punishment, get done with your work.'"

9 Is it true, isn't it, Mr. Mladjenovic that -- Mr. Stevic, that

10 Mr. Mladjenovic ordered you to execute these prisoner and that your

11 nickname is Dragan?

12 A. The nickname of Dragan is actually not a nickname. It is my

13 Christian name. My official name is Vujadin Stevic.

14 I tell you once again: Mr. Talovic can write whatever he wants.

15 It's not true. My superior was one of the JNA active duty officers and

16 the purpose of the operation was to secure the road in order to have

17 certain forces of the JNA withdrawn from Central Bosnia. Given the fact

18 that there had been an incident a few days previous in Hranca village,

19 that is why some measures were taken, i.e., another attempt was made to

20 disarm the Muslims.

21 I have to say that the Muslims in Glogova had built shelters so

22 that they can take cover easily after an operation of theirs or after

23 they had set up an ambush along the road.

24 Q. Mr. Stevic --

25 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] The transcript. The witness said,

Page 36040

1 "I say again that Mr. Musanovic," that is line 9 -- no, "Musan Talovic,"

2 not "Mladjenovic," that he could write what he wants. If we listen to

3 the transcript, we'll see that he said that Musan Talovic could write

4 what he wanted.

5 JUDGE KWON: I think I can confirm that.

6 MR. COSTI: Yeah, I agree.

7 Q. Now, you said that you didn't know Mladjenovic at that time, but

8 I would say that you knew it very well. He was a TO like you in 1992,

9 and you were both member of the Bratunac SDS Municipal Board.

10 MR. COSTI: If I can have 65 ter 00603F. And if we go to English

11 page 2 and B/C/S 2.

12 Q. At that session there was a discussion about reviving the local

13 boards of the SDS and both you and Mladjenovic were tasked to revive

14 local board of the SDS.

15 A. I did not understand the interpretation. Could it please be

16 repeated.

17 Q. Now, if you read the second conclusion -- or the first

18 conclusion -- let me check. The second conclusion, which is at page 2,

19 and is also the second conclusion at page 2 of the B/C/S, it says:

20 "To revive the work of the local board in Fakovici, people in

21 charge of it are Nedjo Nikolic, Zoran Tesic, and Miroslav Deronjic.

22 Vujadin Stevic is in charge of the local board in Slapasnica.

23 Dragan Radic is in charge of the local board of Borici. Milo Vasic and

24 Najdan Mladjenovic are in charge of the local board in Repovac."

25 So as you can see from here we are both cited in the same

Page 36041

1 paragraph one session of the SDS Municipal Board tasked with similar

2 mission and goals, and so what I would say is that you knew each other,

3 didn't you?

4 A. Sir, Mr. Prosecutor, we did attend the meeting together, but I

5 was never in any close contact with that man. There may have been over

6 20 or 30 people there. Now, why would I have any need to be friends with

7 anyone in particular? Hranca village is some 14 kilometres away from my

8 village. I couldn't know everyone, especially because before that I had

9 spent three days working in Western Berlin.

10 Q. All right.

11 A. Those people -- three years working in Western Berlin, and the

12 people there changed a lot over that time. I did not know him

13 personally.

14 Q. Very well. Let's move on.

15 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] The transcript. Those young people

16 grew up while he was in Germany.

17 MR. COSTI:

18 Q. So let me close on the Glogova operation. Now, you know that the

19 person you captured were killed, and you probably know that 40 others

20 were also killed, and I'm sure you know that the village was burned down,

21 and the rest of the population was expelled. I'm asking you: The goal

22 of the operation was not to collect weapons, but it was to expel Muslims.

23 A. I wouldn't agree with your assertion. The number of killed that

24 day cannot be based solely on the statement of a witness. In the records

25 of Bratunac municipality, there is precise information on who was killed

Page 36042

1 when, on what date, with their first and last name, their personal

2 numbers, et cetera. Such lists drafted by someone with the aim of

3 increasing the number, well, on such lists you can even find people who

4 had previously died or been killed, even those who had never been born.

5 The only truthful document is the register of citizens because

6 that is where the families reported the names of their family members and

7 the dates of their disappearance or when they were killed. Anything else

8 is not credible. Could we please rely only on such records as the true

9 documents. I do know that the late Miroslav Deronjic had agreed to

10 accepting this increased number of the killed, and the names were

11 gathered from who knows where and many -- I don't even have their date of

12 birth or their personal number. In my view, it is terrible to find that

13 a Tribunal of this sort would use such random data without relying on

14 credible documents. I don't want to waste anyone's time, but in

15 Republika Srpska I can tell you that every tree that is cut down in the

16 forest receives its number, and it is precisely known what household cut

17 it down, where it is, and in which part of the forest, let alone

18 information about people.

19 I personally believe that it is terrible to make a list of -- as

20 this of first and last names without appropriate personal information,

21 such arbitrary lists.

22 Q. Thank you. So let's move on to -- to the following days. The

23 day after, on the 10th of May, you said in your statement that you

24 participated in another operation. You were tasked with blocking

25 Mihaljevici because another operation was ongoing. Now, is it true,

Page 36043

1 isn't, that that morning Mihaljevici was set on fire?

2 A. Mihaljevici was not torched. None of the villages below Bratunac

3 was in the direction of Zvornik. They were not set fire to, not a single

4 building, but there was an operation with the goal of disarming.

5 Q. Mr. Stevic, this -- this Tribunal, this Chamber has heard the

6 evidence of a protected Witness which is KDZ605, and in his statement at

7 paragraph 45, he discussed and said that at 9.00 a.m., Mihaljevici had

8 already been ablaze. Do you disagree with it?

9 A. Mr. Interpreter, it is not Mihajlovici but Mihaljevici. Perhaps

10 a haystack had been set afire so that this would be a signal to start

11 with the process of disarming. But definitely no building was set on

12 fire all the way up until the end of the war.

13 Q. Thank you. Now, the following day, and at this point I think we

14 are around 11 of May, you were tasked to find Muslim hiding in the woods,

15 and you explained at paragraph 26 and 28 that you did find a group of

16 Muslims and that you organised their transportation to Bratunac. Now,

17 what I don't see in your statement is that these persons, these Muslims

18 that you organised the transfer of, were forced to do so, they had no

19 alternative. Am I correct?

20 A. You are not, Mr. Prosecutor. It did not take place on the 11th.

21 I cannot be precise, but it was a few days later, perhaps on the 13th or

22 the 14th or even the 15th of May. That is when I was informed by my

23 people that a group of neighbours in Radjici [phoen] settlement which was

24 part of Mihajlevici village along the road between the Ljubovija bridge

25 to Zvornik, that is to say at the place where the road crosses the Drina,

Page 36044

1 they sent a man to call me to arrange with me how to leave that territory

2 safely. Of course, I met their request. I remember well that I came to

3 a house. In a room they were praying, and with my left arm I motioned

4 them to continue, and in the room to the right I saw my schoolmate

5 Hajrudin Dubicic. Since I knew him best I approached him, greeted him,

6 and we started talking about the problems and what was going on. They

7 were in fear. They did not dare be next to the road, because different

8 paramilitary formations moved along the road, firing in the air and

9 causing fear.

10 When the people praying in the other room finished their prayer,

11 they approached us. We knew each other from passing quite well, although

12 not necessarily by first and last name. We sat down and tried to agree

13 on what would be the best thing to do. Out of fear they did not wish to

14 be in their homes, and they could no longer be in the forest. They

15 wanted to leave their village because they were eyewitnesses. They could

16 see that all women and children from the Serb villages had crossed the

17 bridge over the Drina and left for Serbia. It wasn't safe for them

18 either, and they felt fear, especially because there was chaos everywhere

19 in the town itself and in the villages as well.

20 We agreed that I would contact my superior in order to try and

21 secure transport. That is how it was. I secured their transport to

22 Bratunac. I did tell them that those were still up in the forest should

23 come down, too, so that it would all be in one go. They came the next

24 day, and I know that they couldn't fit in one bus --

25 Q. It is in your statement, Mr. Stevic.

Page 36045

1 A. -- and that it had to go back two or three times. Very well.

2 And that's how they left the village. They were grateful, especially

3 certain individuals who told me that they fared well, that they managed

4 to leave Bratunac without being mistreated, and up to this day people

5 come back to me with stories like that.

6 Q. That part is already in your statement, so sorry to interrupt

7 you, but the time is very short. Now, when you said in your statement

8 that they reached Bratunac without problems, now, you didn't say in your

9 statement, though, what was happening in Bratunac to the Muslims that

10 were captured in the surrounding villages, meaning most of them, families

11 detained at the football stadium, and men mistreated and killed at the

12 Vuk Karadzic school. So they might have been safe in Bratunac, but in

13 Bratunac they actually encountered pretty serious problem. Isn't it

14 correct?

15 A. These people definitely not, because they confirmed it to me

16 after the war when they returned to their homes.

17 Q. Very well. But you know that thousands of Muslims were detained

18 in Bratunac and at the Vuk Karadzic school men were mistreated, tortured,

19 and killed, don't you?

20 A. I know of some stories, but I had no occasion to see it. You

21 know that in my village at the time, the telephone lines were down. I

22 could only rely on a radio device which had a direct connection with the

23 TO staff. I wasn't informed about this.

24 MR. COSTI: Can we have 65 ter 24843, please.

25 Q. Now, this is an article that was published on the 5th of May,

Page 36046

1 2010, on a Bosnian news web site and is about Milenko Prodanovic also

2 known as Mungos. Milenko Prodanovic, the article discuss some of the

3 crime he committed in Suha and particularly the killing of a pregnant

4 woman, and then in the second page of the article both in English and

5 B/C/S, there is a bit an interview, part of an interview of

6 Sakib Ahmetovic who is the -- was at least in 2010 the president of the

7 Association of Detainees in Bratunac, and he says:

8 "'I was imprisoned by Milenko Prodanovic and taken to the camp by

9 a man who introduced himself as Chetniks Vojvoda Dragan Stevic. Everyone

10 called him Dragan, however his name is Vujadin Stevic,' said

11 Sakib Ahmetovic, president of the association of the camp inmates."

12 You can find the full interview on the internet of the federation

13 TV web site.

14 Now, isn't it true that you actually escorted prisoners to the

15 Vuk Karadzic school, so you were fully aware of what was going on there?

16 A. Mr. Prosecutor, this really begs a story, and I apologise for

17 taking up time. Mr. Sakib Ahmetovic was a good neighbour of mine. After

18 the war, when I again became president of the local commune in Slapasnica

19 where the village in question belonged to, he had an argument with his

20 neighbour Sahman - I don't remember the last name - concerning a path and

21 a fence. They called me to the spot as the local commune president.

22 When the surveyor and the municipal inspector ascertained the border

23 between their two plots, then he and Sahman his neighbour, I don't

24 remember his last name, but they had a fight. I simply didn't want to

25 get involved. And it seemed funny at the time because I had saved both

Page 36047

1 of them from those - how should I call them? - people who caused disorder

2 at the beginning the war and yet now they were fighting, and instead of

3 being grateful that I testified in court in his favour rather than

4 Sahman's. When the criminal report was dealt with, he put this up on the

5 internet, and it just seemed ridiculous, because on the internet you can

6 put whatever you like. That was the reason why he wrote this.

7 Q. Well, thanks for that lengthy explanation. At this point I have

8 very limited time. I'm going to move to 1995, the events that follow the

9 fall of Srebrenica. I have just two question for you on that. First of

10 all, you said that -- well, at that time you were assistant commander for

11 logistic in the 1st Battalion of the Bratunac Brigade, and on the 12th of

12 July you said that your battalion captured in Cizmici a group of the

13 UNPROFOR soldiers, and then you brought them to the Hotel Fontana where

14 they were detained by the army.

15 Now, I don't need you to retell me the story that's in your

16 statement, I would like you to just answer yes or no to this question:

17 What you did was against the will of the UNPROFOR soldiers. They were

18 arrested against their will. They were not free to leave. Am I correct?

19 A. You are not. If I'm allowed to explain, I'd be happy to.

20 Otherwise, you can take it whichever way you like it.

21 Q. Well, I take it the way that's in the statement, which is --

22 which you just confirmed is sort of voluntary.

23 MR. COSTI: Now can I have 65 ter 06202.

24 Q. This is a Security Council, United Nations Security Council,

25 Resolution 1004 on 12 July 1995, and as you -- we can see in the middle

Page 36048

1 of the page, it says "Condemning."

2 "Condemning the offensive by the Bosnian Serb forces against the

3 safe area of Srebrenica, and in particular the detention by the Bosnian

4 Serb forces of the UNPROFOR personnel."

5 And in the following page the Security Council:

6 "Demands the Bosnian Serb forces to immediately and

7 unconditionally release unharmed all detained UNPROFOR personnel."

8 So it seems like the United Nations had a slightly different view

9 from yours. It appears that they were forcibly detained. They were

10 detained, and they asked for their release.

11 A. Please, it would be the same as if I were to say that you

12 detained me and sent me to the hotel room to sit down and wait until it

13 is my turn to testify. They were all invited to come to the hotel to

14 take shelter from everything that was going on there, as people under UN

15 protection. And I only see the humane side in it all and nothing bad on

16 my part.

17 Q. Maybe on your part, but you are aware that the VRS then

18 threatened to kill these UNPROFOR soldiers if the NATO bombing had not

19 stopped. You know that; right?

20 A. I don't know what was being arranged up there at the command, but

21 I do know that there was bombing in the area of Bratunac and Srebrenica.

22 So this is incorrect too. No one did it out of fear. We simply acted in

23 the most humane way by escorting them to the hotel, you see, because at

24 the time no one guarded them with any rifles. No one guarded them at

25 all. It was just the police who walked up and down the street, and

Page 36049

1 people waved from the windows. I see nothing in it all save for the

2 humane gesture. I have to say this: When I arrived at that place, we

3 waited for this young man who could speak English, I think it's in the

4 statement, and when I established contact with an UNPROFOR fighter, he

5 told me, he showed me the trench where only two days before there were

6 500 armed Muslim soldiers. So how do you explain to him that -- whether

7 UNPROFOR had done what it had been sent to the protected area of

8 Srebrenica to do in the first place? And he said, "Thank God you hadn't

9 arrived here earlier, because all of those Muslims would have been

10 killed." I even want to say this: I responsibly claim that I still see

11 some of those guys that I -- well, if I were in contact with them, I

12 believe they would be delighted now to explain.

13 Q. Now, last questions. At paragraph --

14 JUDGE KWON: A quick question. What did you mean, Mr. Stevic, by

15 an UNPROFOR fighter?

16 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] I meant the soldiers of UNPROFOR.

17 I just used the wrong word.

18 JUDGE KWON: Thank you.

19 MR. COSTI: Thank you, Mr. President.

20 Q. Now, at paragraph 36, you said in your statement that in the

21 following days before being deployed to Zepa, you remained at the

22 battalion command in Magasici. But this is not true, is it? You were

23 actually deployed together with your battalion looking for Muslims that

24 were left behind the column, Muslims that were still hiding in the woods.

25 Am I correct?

Page 36050

1 A. I'm sorry, Mr. Prosecutor. You're not correct yet once again.

2 When my commander sent me to escort UNPROFOR soldiers, he told me when

3 you hand them over to the brigade in the hotel, I should go back to my

4 tasks in the battalion command at Magasici. And my tasks were to

5 organise food and possibly the replenishment of ammunition for my men on

6 the line. It lasted for a day or two, and then we went to Zepa. I --

7 there was no need for me to chase the Muslims who were there. There were

8 some other units who did that. My unit was not involved in that.

9 MR. COSTI: Can we have 65 ter 02114, please.

10 Q. This, Mr. Stevic, is an order from the command of the

11 Bratunac Brigade to your battalion, and if we read at point 1, it says:

12 "The 1st Infantry Battalion will search the terrain of the former

13 enclave of Srebrenica on the right side ...," and then it goes on

14 indicating the three points and the villages of responsibility of your

15 battalion. And this was issued according to the order of the Drina Corps

16 command, which is D02239, just for the record.

17 So your battalion was actually tasked with searching the terrain

18 or chasing the Muslims, as you said, on the 14th of July, and this was

19 its occupation until the 17th when, as you said in your statement, you

20 were deployed to Zepa; correct?

21 A. I'm not familiar with the order. Perhaps the commander was

22 familiar with it. However, my battalion could not move either leftward

23 or rightward. It could only advance a bit forward through the woods, and

24 eventually they returned even before they reached Srebrenica. It

25 returned to Magasici, and perhaps one or two days later we packed our

Page 36051

1 belongings and we went to Zepa from there.

2 Let me repeat once again my personal task was at the command of

3 this Infantry Battalion in Magasici. I was there to secure the command

4 and make sure that there was food. I was in charge of the rest of the

5 logistics tasks for the battalion.

6 Q. Thank you.

7 MR. COSTI: Can we have this document admitted, Your Honour,

8 please.

9 MR. ROBINSON: No objection.

10 JUDGE KWON: Yes, we'll receive it.

11 THE REGISTRAR: Exhibit P6231, Your Honours.

12 MR. COSTI:

13 Q. So to conclude, Mr. Stevic, you were in Magasici during those

14 days. Now, the Chamber had the opportunity to visit those areas, but

15 just to remind ourselves, Magasici is on the road between Bratunac and

16 Konjevic Polje, and if I'm correct it's let's say halfway between Kravica

17 and Bratunac, around Glogova, a little bit southern than Glogova. Am I

18 correct?

19 A. Yes.

20 Q. Thank you.

21 A. It is on Avdagina Njive. It is an elevation, and to the left you

22 can see Magasici if you're looking from Bratunac towards Kravica.

23 Q. So you know that at the time you said you were there, on the 13th

24 of July a thousand -- over a thousand of Muslim men were killed at the

25 Kravica warehouse, and you know -- which is about 5 kilometres from your

Page 36052

1 command, and you probably also know that in the following days the bodies

2 of these thousand men were buried in Glogova, which is, I would say, not

3 even a kilometre from your command. So were you aware at that time that

4 execution were taking place and that the bodies were buried, I would even

5 say, in your backyard almost?

6 A. Please, once again you are using wrong numbers. At the beginning

7 of my testimony, I said that it is really sad that the number of dead and

8 killed is being distorted and blown up. All these men have their names

9 and family names, and all the other details, and I'm sorry that you

10 measured them like you would cubic metres of stone or wood. Nobody

11 really knows the exact number of those who may have been there. Those

12 who gathered them and brought them there did not count head. I'm

13 particularly insulted by the numbers. Kravica was not in my area of

14 responsibility. It was to the right of my area of responsibility if

15 you're looking from Magasici towards Srebrenica, and it was

16 approximately -- or, rather, it was -- it was part of the responsibility

17 of the 6th Battalion of the Zvornik Brigade that was attached to us.

18 To the right in the direction of Konjevic Polje, the command of

19 the brigade left a corridor at the moment when the line was established

20 between this 6th Battalion of Zvornik and the military brigade. So all

21 the Muslims could leave, i.e., they could go. They did use that corridor

22 but not to leave but to go to Tuzla to fetch weapons to increase their

23 weaponry which is another sign that --

24 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Stevic, the question was whether you knew the

25 executions were taking place and bodies were buried. Did you know or did

Page 36053

1 you not?

2 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] I did not know. I did not have the

3 time to deal with that. If something happened behind our backs, there

4 was no way for us to see that.

5 JUDGE KWON: While you do not know the executions were going on,

6 on what basis can you say that the number is being distorted?

7 MR. COSTI:

8 Q. If I may follow up. What would be the right number?

9 A. I said at the beginning when we started talking about Glogova,

10 you go to the municipal records to find out the exact number.

11 JUDGE KWON: We are now talking about Kravica warehouse in 1995.

12 You said you didn't know that but you also said the number was being

13 distorted, and even you said you were insulted. How come? Could you

14 explain that to us.

15 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] I'm insulted by the arbitrary

16 numbers that are being presented here. If something happened, then the

17 exact number should be known. All the dead people deserve to be

18 identified, counted, and buried. Only such information containing the

19 first name, the last name, or the exact number, but as I've been

20 following these trials for a year, nobody mentioned the same number and

21 nobody actually used the proper information about those casualties and

22 victims.

23 MR. COSTI:

24 Q. Mr. Stevic, I'm asking you again, what is in your view the

25 correct number of people killed at the Kravica warehouse?

Page 36054

1 A. I do not know the right number, but I know for a fact that it was

2 much lower. You have access to all the information. At least you have

3 an opportunity to access information in Bratunac and Srebrenica. That's

4 where the families of the victims are, and they personally reported who

5 was killed, on what day, and in which place, and this is the only kind of

6 information that I accept as credible.

7 Q. We did access this information. We did have exhumation. Did

8 exhumation. We have numbers. The numbers are the one I said. What is

9 the basis for you to say that it was a lower number? You don't know.

10 A. I claim that because you did not use the official records. You

11 used the lists of some associations which are arbitrary, just like the

12 list of Musan Talovic's.

13 MR. COSTI: Very well. I don't think I have any other questions,

14 Your Honour.

15 I forgot on my way through to seek the admission of three 65 ter

16 numbers which were: 24845 and 24843, the two articles, and --

17 JUDGE KWON: Let's go one by one. The first one seems to be the

18 article published in -- on an internet web site which contains the

19 Prosecutor's opening statement.

20 MR. COSTI: Correct, Your Honours.

21 JUDGE KWON: What's the probative value would it have at all?

22 MR. COSTI: Well, Your Honour, it doesn't itself. The only value

23 would be to have it on the record to -- when assessing the weight of the

24 testimony of this witness.

25 JUDGE KWON: I think it was read to the witness and there's no

Page 36055

1 need to admit it at the moment.

2 MR. COSTI: Very well.

3 JUDGE KWON: And the next one.

4 MR. COSTI: The second one would be 24843, but I believe probably

5 the same thing applies.

6 JUDGE KWON: 24sata --

7 MR. COSTI: 843 which is the other article.

8 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Robinson.

9 MR. ROBINSON: Yes, we object. The witness didn't confirm

10 anything about it and it has no probative value as it stands.

11 MR. COSTI: The witness gave a long explanation as why the

12 article and why that witness said those things in that interview. So I

13 believe in this case the witness provided a sufficient basis for its

14 admission.

15 JUDGE KWON: Was it an interview, Mr. Costi?

16 MR. COSTI: It was a report, and the last bit, the one that I put

17 to the witness, is part of an interview where a witness was talking about

18 being brought to the Vuk Karadzic by the witness.

19 [Trial Chamber confers]

20 JUDGE KWON: Shall we upload it so that we can see it again.

21 MR. COSTI: Sure. It is 2 -- here we are.

22 JUDGE KWON: So I'd like you in the future to deal with it at the

23 moment.

24 MR. COSTI: Yeah. I'm very sorry. I just --

25 JUDGE KWON: I understood you are not tendering at the moment.

Page 36056

1 MR. COSTI: It is my mistake. I completely overseen this.

2 It's in the second page. The second paragraph -- sorry, the

3 second from the bottom. And this is a statement from Sakib Ahmetovic.

4 JUDGE KWON: So could you first tell me what this document is

5 about and what this web site is about.

6 MR. COSTI: Well, the web site is a -- is a Bosnian news general

7 web site. It reports news on the Balkans, and this particular article --

8 JUDGE KWON: What is 24sata?

9 MR. COSTI: Yeah. That's the name of the web site. And the

10 article, though, it's about an interview, a video interview that was

11 taken by the federal television during which Prodanovic refuses to answer

12 the question and he sort of almost violently reacted to the journalist.

13 And because of this interaction between the FTV journalist and Prodanovic

14 the -- was quite violent, it reached the news, and this is the news about

15 that interaction and that interview. And in the web site, there is also

16 a video which we didn't upload because we didn't think it was worth to

17 upload the actual video of Ahmetovic interview which is there.

18 JUDGE KWON: Very well. Given that the witness offered a very

19 lengthy answer, statement, with respect to this bit, we'll receive this.

20 THE REGISTRAR: As Exhibit P6232, Your Honours.

21 JUDGE KWON: And the last one.

22 MR. COSTI: And the last one is --

23 JUDGE KWON: UN Resolution.

24 MR. COSTI: Yeah, but that one, we've already, I think, admitted

25 it.

Page 36057

1 JUDGE KWON: Yes.

2 MR. COSTI: And the last one is 0 -- sorry. It's 00603F, which

3 are the minutes of the SDS Municipal Board that we discussed at the

4 beginning of the cross-examination.

5 JUDGE KWON: That's the relevant part of the document, which is

6 65 ter number 603. So only --

7 MR. COSTI: 603F, yes.

8 JUDGE KWON: Any objection, Mr. Robinson?

9 MR. ROBINSON: No, Mr. President.

10 JUDGE KWON: We'll receive it.

11 THE REGISTRAR: Exhibit P6233, Your Honours.

12 MR. COSTI: Thank you.

13 JUDGE KWON: Very well.

14 Yes, Mr. Karadzic. Do you have re-examination?

15 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] A couple of questions, perhaps

16 three, your Excellency.

17 Re-examination by Mr. Karadzic:

18 Q. [Interpretation] Mr. Stevic, were you known to people as a

19 Chetnik Vojvoda?

20 A. The first one who referred to me as Chetnik Vojvoda after the war

21 was comrade Ahmed Husic, my colleague. I thanked him for the title that

22 reached me from the enemy side or the opposition side.

23 Q. Thank you. In Topalovic's statement he says that somebody

24 communicated with Vojvoda Mladjenovic, was Mladjenovic a Chetnik Vojvoda?

25 A. As far as I know none of us were Vojvoda and that includes him,

Page 36058

1 too.

2 JUDGE KWON: Please put a pause before you start answering the

3 question for the benefit of the interpreters. Do you understand that?

4 And the line 6, "Topalovic" should read "Talovic." Am I correct?

5 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Yes. That was my mistake -- my

6 mistake. Thank you.

7 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

8 Q. Did you have a nickname as a fighter?

9 A. I had several nicknames. As I've already told you, my real name

10 is Vujadin. Dragan is the name that I was christened as. During the war

11 they called me Tito, Cica, and many other names.

12 Q. Tito would not be a Chetnik nickname, would it?

13 A. Well, it wouldn't, but things happen, don't they.

14 Q. Thank you. When did you learn about the incidents in Kravica at

15 the farm there?

16 A. As we were leaving for Zepa, we passed by the warehouse. We

17 could not see anything in front of it. We were in vehicles, so I could

18 not see anything in front of the facility. And as for what was happening

19 inside, we could not see that from our vehicles.

20 Q. Thank you. Were you familiar with the warehouse? Can you tell

21 us how large is it? How many people could fit in there?

22 A. I believe that there are two or three buildings there, and those

23 are mostly buildings for farming purposes. I did not measure them. I

24 don't know what their surface is. I don't know what their volume is, so

25 I wouldn't dare speculate, but they were enough to serve the purposes of

Page 36059

1 one village.

2 Q. And now my last question: You were asked about the Serbian

3 municipality of Bratunac. Why was it called the Serbian municipality?

4 Was there any other municipality? Had there been an agreement with this

5 regard?

6 A. As far as I know, the Serbian authorities and the Muslim

7 authorities in Bratunac had tried to agree how to avoid war and how all

8 of us could stay in that area. The Serbian police was thus formed in

9 order to control the Serbs, and as far as I know the Serbian police

10 abandoned the police building and only the Muslim police stayed there.

11 There were also talks about organising both the Serbian and Muslim

12 municipalities in order to avoid a conflict happening in that area.

13 Q. Thank you.

14 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] On line 17, the witness didn't say

15 "to protect the Serbs" but the Serbian police was to control the Serbs

16 and the Muslim police was to control the Muslims. This is what the

17 witness said.

18 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Yes.

19 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] And if you listen to the tape, I'm

20 sure that you will see that I'm correct.

21 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation].

22 Q. Very well, Mr. Stevic, I have no further questions for you.

23 Thank you very much.

24 JUDGE KWON: Very well. Yes. Mr. Stevic, that concludes your

25 evidence in this case. On behalf of the Chamber, I thank you for your

Page 36062

1 must draw your attention to a certain Rule that we have here at the

2 International Tribunal, that is Rule 90(E) of the Rules of Procedure and

3 Evidence. Under this Rule, you may object to answering any question from

4 Mr. Karadzic, the Prosecutor, or even from the Judges if you believe that

5 your answer might incriminate you in a criminal offence. In this

6 context, "incriminate" means saying something that might amount to an

7 admission of guilt for a criminal offence or saying something that might

8 provide evidence that you might have committed a criminal offence.

9 However, should you think that an answer might incriminate you and as a

10 consequence you refuse to answer the question, I must let you know that

11 the Tribunal has the power to compel you to answer the question, but in

12 that situation, the Tribunal would ensure that your testimony compelled

13 under such circumstances would not be used in any case that might be laid

14 against you for any offence save and except the offence of giving false

15 testimony.

16 Do you understand what I have just told you, Mr. Obradovic?

17 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Yes, I do.

18 JUDGE KWON: Thank you.

19 Yes, Mr. Karadzic.

20 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you.

21 Examination by Mr. Karadzic:

22 Q. [Interpretation] Good morning, Mr. Obradovic.

23 A. Good morning, Mr. President.

24 Q. Just like in case of everybody else who speaks Serbian, I would

25 kindly ask you to pause between starting your answer after my question

Page 36063

1 and to try and speak as slowly as possible so that everything can be

2 recorded.

3 Have you given a statement to my Defence team?

4 A. Yes, I have.

5 Q. Thank you.

6 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can we please have 1D7973 in

7 e-court.

8 MR. KARADZIC:

9 Q. Can you see the statement on the screen in front of you?

10 A. Yes.

11 Q. Thank you. Have you read and signed the statement?

12 A. I have read it many times, and I signed it.

13 Q. I'm waiting for the interpretation to be complete and I ask you

14 to do the same.

15 Can we please now look at the last page so that you can confirm

16 if that is your signature, Mr. Obradovic?

17 A. Yes.

18 Q. Does this statement accurately reflect everything that you told

19 the Defence team?

20 A. Yes, it does.

21 Q. If I were to put the same questions to you today, would your

22 answers basically be the same?

23 A. They would be completely identical.

24 Q. Thank you.

25 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] I would like to tender this

Page 36064

1 statement and 92 ter package into evidence. There's a document mentioned

2 in paragraph 12. I would like to lead the witness live on that issue.

3 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Robinson, can you help us with respect to

4 associated exhibits.

5 MR. ROBINSON: Yes, Mr. President. We're offering 13 associated

6 exhibits. Nine of them are not on our 65 ter list because we didn't have

7 them at the time that the list was submitted. We would ask that they be

8 added to the 65 ter list.

9 JUDGE KWON: Ms. Gustafson, any objections?

10 MS. GUSTAFSON: Good morning, Your Honours. Yes. As we indicate

11 in our e-mail last night, we object to the admission of the three

12 photographs referenced at paragraph 7. That's 65 ter 1D12075 through to

13 1D12077. These documents don't meet the standard for associated exhibits

14 in our submission. It's not even indicated in the statement that the

15 witness has recognised these photographs as being what they are meant

16 to -- depicting what they are meant to depict. In addition, there are

17 markings on the photograph, and there's no mention in the statement that

18 these markings even exist let alone who made them or what they are

19 intended to depict. And I note also that there is B/C/S text on some of

20 the photos that's not translated. So in our submission these photos

21 would have to be led live to be admitted.

22 We had indicated that we were objecting to the last sentence of

23 paragraph 12 because it describes a document that hadn't been identified.

24 I've just been informed of a 65 ter number that that is -- sentence is

25 supposed to refer to, and as Dr. Karadzic mentioned, he's intending to

Page 36065

1 deal with that document live, so we'll reserve our objection to that

2 sentence for now. Thank you.

3 JUDGE KWON: Thank you.

4 In addition to agreeing with Ms. Gustafson's submission, I also

5 draw your attention to the document, i.e., 1D7300, which is referred to

6 paragraph 19. The Chamber doesn't consider that that document forms an

7 indispensable and inseparable part of the statement. It is just simply

8 listed at the end of the paragraph. So except for those four documents,

9 we'll admit the statement as well as the remaining nine associated

10 exhibits.

11 Shall we give the number for the statement.

12 THE REGISTRAR: Yes, Your Honour. The statement will be

13 Exhibit D3175.

14 JUDGE KWON: And the remaining associated exhibits will be given

15 numbers by the registrar in due course.

16 Please proceed, Mr. Karadzic.

17 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you. Now I'm going to read

18 the summary of Mr. Obradovic's statement in English, and after that we

19 are going to deal with some documents that we intend to offer.

20 [In English] Dragomir Obradovic was born on 27th of June, 1950,

21 in Krsevi, Sokolac municipality. He was the commander of SJB Sokolac and

22 a member of the Crisis Staff of Sokolac municipality in some months in

23 1992.

24 After the constituent Assembly of the SDS party was held on

25 Sokolac in August 1990, the first multi-party elections were held. The

Page 36066

1 SDS won the elections, but afterwards there was a distribution of power,

2 and many key posts in the government went to Muslims.

3 From 1991 onwards, there was growing mistrust among the

4 population, often increased by the media in BH. While there were no open

5 confrontations between employees at the police station, there was

6 considerable disunity between Serbs and Muslims.

7 Through operatives in the state security, Dragomir Obradovic

8 learned that Muslims were arming and forming paramilitary units and

9 preparing to set up Muslim police station in the areas where Muslims were

10 a majority. Mevludin Smajic, a high-ranking official of the MUP has

11 admitted that he brought weapons and explosives to the Muslim -- Muslims

12 and organised training in making explosive devices. In one case, on 21st

13 of July, 1992, Muslims launched an attack on a house in village without

14 provocation using mostly automatic rifles and a hand-held launcher

15 grenade. The Serbs fled the village.

16 When the JNA mobilised in June 1991, Serbs responded to the

17 call-up while Muslims boycotted it at the instruction of the SDA.

18 During this period, the police force had a special unit intended

19 to -- for rapid intervention in major disturbances. This unit, however,

20 began without authorisation to carry out actions that contravened the

21 regulations that were in force at that time. Mr. Dragan Obradovic

22 immediately proposed to the Crisis Staff that the unit be disbanded,

23 which happened.

24 There were no paramilitary units in the municipality. The Crisis

25 Staff passed a requiring any sighting of such group to be reported. No

Page 36067

1 reports were received.

2 The police took all measures to preserve security throughout the

3 municipality. As soon as the Crisis Staff was formed, it called the

4 representatives of all parties to participate in joint actions to

5 preserve peace. However, this move was condemned by local Muslims, and

6 the SDA did not attend.

7 The Crisis Staff was required to make -- to take measure --

8 measures such as restricting the work of catering establishments and

9 prohibiting the movement of armed individuals in public places in order

10 to preserve public law and order. No fighting from took -- took place in

11 the municipality until the second half of 1992.

12 On 27th of July, 1992, Muslims blocked a Serbian village,

13 arrested some civilians, and took them to a camp in Zenica. Several days

14 later, another attack on Serbs took place in the village of Donje Babine,

15 and in August another attack was carried out on the village of Cvrcici.

16 Following these and other attacks, Serbs pressured police to disarm

17 Muslims in certain areas -- in certain villages.

18 Dragomir Obradovic and his colleagues visited the Muslim village

19 of Pedise to collect illegally-possessed weapons, but when the police

20 patrol arrived to collect them, the villages -- villagers had left rather

21 than hand over their weaponry. After the attack -- an attack on a Serb

22 village on 21st of July, 1992, Muslims who had organised the attack left

23 their villages. The entire population of Mangurici, Sahbegovici, and

24 Meljine left instead of handing their -- over their weapons. This showed

25 that Muslims were not forced to leave but did so voluntary. In Vrhbarje,

Page 36068

1 for example, Muslims lived peacefully until October 1994 when they moved

2 to Sarajevo.

3 Muslims were killed by police units in the Novoseoci and

4 Arbinjska Propast. The Sokolac police station took no part in this, and

5 the civilian authorities were not informed. In all cases where the

6 police became aware of killings, proper procedure was followed,

7 investigations were carried out, and a criminal report filed.

8 The police did not set up check-points along any roads, nor did

9 they control the movements of Muslims. Occasionally police patrols were

10 put up, but only when the police were aware that the perpetrators of

11 specific crimes were in the area. Despite the conditions of war, the

12 police continuously carried out their regular tasks. There was never a

13 prison at the police station. Individuals could be detained no longer

14 than 48 hours or, in exceptional cases, 72 hours. Those who were

15 detained were properly fed and nobody was physically punished.

16 Dragomir Obradovic has no information regarding the military detention

17 unit established in Sokolac.

18 Local mosques were destroyed, but the police were not informed

19 about this. It was apparently done by local residents because it was

20 believed that the weapons were being kept there.

21 And that is short summary.

22 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

23 Q. This is a brief summary of your statement. Now I would like to

24 ask you to help us shed some light on a number of documents. Do you have

25 a hard copy of your statement, or if you don't -- actually, could you ask

Page 36069

1 the Chamber for permission to use it?

2 A. Can I please be allowed to use my statement in hard copy?

3 JUDGE KWON: Yes. Do you have it with you now?

4 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Yes.

5 JUDGE KWON: Yes.

6 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you.

7 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

8 Q. In paragraph 12 you speak about the freedom of movement, and you

9 said that you saw a document that speaks about that issue. I'm talking

10 about the freedom of return. Had you known that even before the document

11 was shown to you?

12 A. I knew that the Crisis Staff decided that all the people who had

13 left the territory can return without any impediment provided they had no

14 weapons on them that could be used in combat.

15 Q. Thank you.

16 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can I please have now 1D4355 in

17 e-court. Unfortunately, it hasn't been translated.

18 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

19 Q. When did the people start leaving Sokolac municipality, and

20 members of which ethnic communities left?

21 A. After the Serbs left Sarajevo, towards the end of 1992, the

22 Muslims from this area started leaving it so that they headed towards

23 Sarajevo because there were already available facilities where they could

24 find accommodation. This was done by the villagers of Tocionik,

25 Kalimanici, and those on the edges of Sokolac municipality who had

Page 36070

1 committed certain crimes as mentioned in the statement, i.e., the

2 killings of the villagers of the aforementioned villages.

3 Q. Thank you. Did you say that the Serbs left Sarajevo towards the

4 end of 1991 or 1992?

5 A. Late 1991 and early 1992, and also some people left after that

6 date if they managed to do that with the aid of UNPROFOR and other

7 agencies involved in exchanges.

8 Q. Thank you. Could you please look at this document dated 23rd of

9 April, 1992. It speaks about the conclusions reached by the Crisis Staff

10 of the Sokolac municipality.

11 A. Paragraph 12, yes.

12 Q. Paragraph 12 in your statement, but on the screen you can see the

13 document that deals with this issue.

14 THE INTERPRETER: Could the speakers please pause between

15 questions and answers.

16 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

17 Q. What does the first paragraph say? Can you read it?

18 A. This is a conclusion of the Crisis Staff who invited the people

19 who had left Sokolac municipality to come back and that their security

20 would be guaranteed provided they do not bring any weapons with them.

21 That was the conclusion adopted by the Crisis Staff.

22 Q. Does it say here that all the people who had temporarily left the

23 territory of the municipality to return home without any fear for their

24 personal safety and the safety of their property because there were no

25 reasons for their moving out?

Page 36071

1 A. Yes. That was a public proclamation which was broadcast on

2 Radio Romanija.

3 Q. Thank you.

4 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Obradovic, before you start answering the

5 question, please put a pause for the benefit of us who are relying on the

6 interpretation, please.

7 THE WITNESS: Okay.

8 JUDGE KWON: Thank you.

9 Yes, Mr. Karadzic.

10 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you. Could I just have a

11 minute of your patience.

12 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

13 Q. Can you please look at paragraph 2, read it, and then tell us

14 what it speaks about.

15 MS. GUSTAFSON: If the witness is reading the paragraph, perhaps

16 he could read it out loud for the benefit of the non-B/C/S speakers.

17 JUDGE KWON: Why don't we zoom in a bit further.

18 Mr. Obradovic, could you read it aloud, para-2.

19 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] "Presidents of local communes and

20 other activists in local communes shall maintain constant contact with

21 representatives of the legal authorities in the area of municipality.

22 All the possible problems shall be resolved through legal institutions of

23 the government system in the area of municipality in order to ensure the

24 functioning of the authorities in the entire territory of the

25 municipality."

Page 36072

1 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

2 Q. Thank you. Can you now read paragraph 3?

3 A. "It has been estimated that so far in the area of municipality

4 there had been no incidents involving citizens of various ethnic

5 backgrounds and that all the organs should carry out continuous actions

6 in order to maintain and preserve the situation, good neighbourly

7 inter-ethnic relations."

8 I'm sorry, I have the wrong pair of glasses, and this is not big

9 enough for me to read.

10 Q. Thank you.

11 JUDGE KWON: Just a second. Did you leave your glasses somewhere

12 in the Tribunal?

13 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] No, but obviously they are not

14 suitable for reading from the computer screen. They are good for reading

15 from paper.

16 JUDGE KWON: Please proceed, Mr. Karadzic.

17 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you. Could we now have the

18 next page.

19 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

20 Q. Can you please read paragraph 4.

21 A. "President of the local communes bordering with the areas of

22 other municipalities shall contact with the relevant organs in the

23 municipality and inform them of any incidents of attempts by incursions

24 by -- attempts of incursions by individuals and organised groups or any

25 other formations in the area of municipality which might cause anxiety

Page 36073

1 among the citizens and disturb peace in the area and subsequently they

2 shall inform the Sokolac --"

3 THE INTERPRETER: Could Mr. Karadzic please wait for the

4 interpretation to finish.

5 JUDGE KWON: Please put a pause yourself as well. Yes.

6 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] I'm sorry. I have to keep

7 reminding myself of that.

8 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

9 Q. Item 7, the first sentence please.

10 A. "To enable regular supply of basic necessities and food to all

11 inhabitants of the local communes and" -- I don't see the rest.

12 JUDGE KWON: Just slow down and put a pause. And if the

13 interpreters could speak to the microphone. Let's continue.

14 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

15 Q. What does to mean to enable regular supply of food to the

16 inhabitants of all local communes?

17 A. Given the fact that at the beginning of the war there were

18 certain products that there were insufficient quantities of, a decision

19 was made that all inhabitants should be supplied with such products that

20 could be found in the shops. In the villages and hamlets Muslims, too,

21 received such products that were in short supply, things like flour,

22 sugar, salt, et cetera.

23 Q. Thank you. Did you directly participate in terms of your

24 position in organising visits to those local communes, and what was the

25 aim of such visits?

Page 36074

1 A. Our station area was divided in five security sectors. Each

2 sector was headed by its leader who daily visited their sectors, touring

3 villages and talking to people. At the end of the day, the policeman in

4 question would draft an official report once he returned from the field.

5 Q. Can you tell the name of the person who attended this task the

6 longest?

7 A. All of the policemen did their work depending on the needs of the

8 service. Sometimes they stayed even after their working hours. The

9 sector leaders were both Serbs and Muslims, so if there was any need, the

10 policeman who was on duty that day would sometimes be required to stay

11 all the way up until midnight if necessary and if required by the

12 situation.

13 Q. Do you mentioned -- do you mention the name of Rade Dubovina

14 anywhere in your statement?

15 A. Rade Dubovina lived in Polje. He was 30 or 40 years of age at

16 the time. He was in charge of being in contact with the inhabitants of

17 Novoseoci and to supply them with products and whatever was necessary.

18 He was also tasked with co-operating with the policeman in charge of that

19 part of the area in terms of assigning -- or making arrangements.

20 Q. I wanted to read out what Witness Munira Selmanovic had to say

21 about it which is on page 18553 and 554. She says:

22 [In English] "Nobody was going anywhere. People were working

23 until the 1st of May. On the 1st of May we were given holidays. They

24 said we would summon you back to work. Nobody went anywhere. And as I

25 told you, these people were stopping by, Macar, Savic, Velimir, all of

Page 36075

1 those people came as well as Rade Dubovina, who used to come by

2 practically every day --"

3 JUDGE KWON: Will you stop there.

4 Yes, Ms. Gustafson.

5 MS. GUSTAFSON: Thank you. Your Honours, I don't think it's

6 appropriate for Dr. Karadzic to read out the evidence of another witness

7 to have this witness comment on it. If he wants to make submissions

8 later about what various witnesses said about someone that's fine, but he

9 can just ask the questions in an open way and elicit the answers. Thank

10 you.

11 MR. ROBINSON: Mr. President, I disagree with that completely. I

12 think it's helpful to the Chamber and very fair for Dr. Karadzic to put

13 to a witness what another witness has said, quoting directly is even the

14 best way to do that, and it's open to the witness to make any comment.

15 There's nothing leading about that whatsoever.

16 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] If I may add --

17 JUDGE KWON: Just a second. Yes Mr. Karadzic. Do you have

18 anything to add to what Mr. Robinson already said?

19 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Yes. Just to say that the

20 Prosecution only recently quoted the words of another Prosecutor to a

21 witness, that is to say from another proceedings, and I am talking about

22 witness who spoke here confirming the story that this witness has to

23 tell.

24 JUDGE KWON: Ms. Gustafson, would you like to respond, or could

25 you expand why it would be inappropriate to put the witness --

Page 36076

1 MS. GUSTAFSON: Well, my response to Dr. Karadzic's comment would

2 be there's a difference between a direct examination and a

3 cross-examination, and in cross-examination it's a given that you put

4 evidence in the form of document or witness evidence to the witness and

5 that's -- that's the nature of cross-examination. So the analogy is

6 inapposite. As Dr. Karadzic said, he wants this witness to confirm what

7 another witness said. I just don't see the point in that. As I said, if

8 he wants to make submissions later about the fact that witnesses were

9 consistent on a point that's fine, but he can just -- he just should

10 elicit the evidence and later make those submissions, and asking this

11 witness whether what someone else said is consistent with his evidence is

12 of no benefit to the Chamber.

13 [Trial Chamber confers]

14 JUDGE KWON: Well, Ms. Gustafson, while we understand your point

15 of distinction between the examination-in-chief and cross-examination,

16 but in this case having led some foundational questions, the Chamber does

17 not see any difficulty with putting such questions. He could have it --

18 he could have put it in a more neutral way, but we don't see any

19 difficulty with it.

20 Please proceed, Mr. Karadzic.

21 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you. I'll read this out in

22 English so as to receive appropriate interpretation.

23 "[In English] And as I told you, these people were stopping by,

24 Macar, Savic, Velimir, all of those people came as well as Rade Dubovina,

25 who used to come by practically every day, and he would be talking to

Page 36077

1 people, People, there is no need, it's like this, like that. I told you

2 everything."

3 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

4 Q. Do you know what the position was of the authorities concerning

5 potential departures of people from Novoseoci or other villages? Were

6 the authorities in favour of their departure or were they trying to talk

7 them out of it?

8 A. The authorities tried to keep everyone in our area, and they were

9 trying to talk them out of moving out. They wanted fuel so that they

10 could leave, and the Crisis Staff of the municipality did provide it so

11 that they could continue with their sowing and harvesting.

12 Q. Thank you. And on page 18549 and 550, this lady said that they

13 went to the municipal building asking that they be evacuated and the

14 authorities talked them out of it saying that there was no reason to

15 leave and that they should freely go home and would be provided with

16 everything that they need. Now that you mention fuel, I'll read

17 something out from page 18556. It had to do with whether these were the

18 Sokolac authorities.

19 "[In English] All of them are from Sokolac. First Savic, then

20 Milorad Savic, and this other persons said all right, come with us, buy

21 fuel, work with machines, buy what you need, all of that is correct.

22 Then they would come to some village, bring whatever was needed, people

23 would take that. There you go, that's how it was. These were these

24 favours done by the people of Sokolac."

25 [Interpretation] How does this tally with your knowledge

Page 36078

1 concerning the position of the authorities concerning the Muslim

2 inhabitants in the Muslim villages?

3 A. The overall authorities treated all of the citizens equally.

4 There was no distinction made. If someone needed assistance, they were

5 helped irrespective of whether they were Serb or Muslim.

6 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Karadzic, I think this goes too far, and it's

7 leading.

8 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

9 Q. Can you tell us, Mr. Obradovic, how did it happen that you

10 preserved peace in Sokolac municipality until late July, that is to say,

11 four months after the outbreak of war in all of the adjacent

12 municipalities?

13 A. We preserved our area for four months so as to avoid war. Had it

14 not been for the murders in the border areas of the municipality, we

15 would have awaited the end of the war without fighting each other.

16 However, the murders provided a spark which set off all of the further

17 clashes. The inhabitants of the village asked the police and the army to

18 protect them. I know that even women stood guard with their children

19 around their homes while the men were engaged in the 206th and the

20 2nd Romanija Motorised Brigade. So a poet of ours said that in wounds

21 human blood turns bad, which means that once the bloodshed started, it

22 was simply an incentive to fan the conflict.

23 Q. It is difficult for the interpreters with translating

24 "njegos" [phoen]. It should actually say that human blood makes for very

25 bad food.

Page 36079

1 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you. Can we have this

2 admitted for identification.

3 JUDGE KWON: You mean this one, 1D4355.

4 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Yes, yes.

5 JUDGE KWON: We'll mark it for identification.

6 THE REGISTRAR: As MFI D3185, Your Honours.

7 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you.

8 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

9 Q. Mr. Obradovic, the photographs of the initial firing at Serb

10 houses. Who took those photographs and under what circumstances?

11 A. The police, that is to say the crime police which carried out the

12 on-site investigation. They took the photographs on the spot.

13 Q. As part of their investigation?

14 A. Yes.

15 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Excellencies, can now those

16 photographs be admitted?

17 JUDGE KWON: Let us take a look at those photos one by one.

18 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can we have in e-court 1D12075, 6,

19 and 7, one at a time.

20 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

21 Q. As you said in your statement and in your testimony, there had

22 been no clashes before that; correct?

23 A. Yes.

24 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can we zoom in, please.

25 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

Page 36080

1 Q. And could you explain to us what is depicted in the photograph.

2 A. This is Slavko Batinic's house in Donje Babine. When Mr. Batinic

3 died, the Serbs came out on the third morning as was customary, and upon

4 returning from the cemetery at noon that day, the people sat down to have

5 lunch. However, Muslims opened fire from infantry weapons, and they even

6 used a mortar. They tried to have the shell land in through the window.

7 By sheer chance or luck it struck underneath the window, and we see the

8 shards of glass and pieces of stone which flew around wounding many

9 around the house. Later that night, all of the Serbs fled Donje Babine

10 to Knezina where they stayed until the end of the war. The next morning,

11 the Muslims left, too, because they probably didn't dare any longer

12 following that kind of incident.

13 Q. Thank you. What is the meaning of the circle in the right-hand

14 side corner? Can you read what it says in it?

15 A. The place where a shell hit. This is where a shell hit, the

16 black spot.

17 Q. Can we see the following photo, 76.

18 JUDGE KWON: Just a second. Could you read out the title of this

19 photo. Shall we scroll up. Could you read it out?

20 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] [No interpretation]

21 THE INTERPRETER: The interpreter cannot understand.

22 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

23 Q. Slowly, and can you articulate, please. This has to be recorded.

24 It has to be translated for the Trial Chamber.

25 A. "Slavko Batinic's house which was attacked by Muslims on the 31st

Page 36081

1 of July, 1992, and where Serb civilians were shelled."

2 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can we have the following.

3 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

4 Q. Tell us what this is, please.

5 A. This is a house on which fire was opened. I don't know who the

6 house belongs to. It doesn't say.

7 Q. Could it be the same house but the photo was taken from the other

8 side?

9 A. Yes, from the other side. That's where -- where fire from

10 firearms was opened on it from automatic rifles, whereas a shell hit the

11 other side of the house.

12 Q. Okay. Can we see the following page. 77. Who was in charge of

13 the investigation?

14 A. The lawyers of the crime investigating police, whereas the police

15 officers secured the location.

16 Q. Thank you.

17 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can this be admitted now?

18 JUDGE KWON: Could you read out that aloud which is written

19 together with an arrow. Do you see "Mjesto" something?

20 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] "Shell impact location."

21 JUDGE KWON: Is this the picture depicting the same house as the

22 one we saw for the first time?

23 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] The house is depicted from the

24 front and from the eastern side, I suppose, where fire was opened on it

25 from automatic weapons.

Page 36082

1 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

2 Q. And that's when the house was full. There was a festive dinner

3 taking place.

4 A. Yes. There were some 40 people inside.

5 JUDGE KWON: Any objection, Ms. Gustafson?

6 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can this be admitted, please?

7 MS. GUSTAFSON: No objection.

8 JUDGE KWON: Yes. We'll admit them all.

9 THE REGISTRAR: As Exhibit D3186 through to Exhibit D3188

10 respectively.

11 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Excellencies, due to your

12 decision I'm not going to insist on the clip from Vrhbarje. That village

13 lived in peace all the time. They hugged each other when they said their

14 good-byes, but it is proof that the authorities --

15 MS. GUSTAFSON: This is just commentary.

16 JUDGE KWON: No submission. So I take it you are not tendering

17 1D7300. Is that what you're saying, Mr. Karadzic?

18 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Well, if this is your decision. If

19 on the contrary your decision is to lead the witness live, I would very

20 much like to show that clip. I didn't understand you properly. I

21 thought it was unacceptable, but it may be acceptable if it is led live.

22 So can --

23 JUDGE KWON: Probably Mr. --

24 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can we see the document, please?

25 The number is 1D7300.

Page 36083

1 JUDGE KWON: Very well. We'll see whether it's relevant and

2 admissible.

3 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

4 Q. How many Muslims continued to live in villages around Sokolac and

5 in which villages, Mr. Obradovic?

6 A. Give me a time reference.

7 Q. From the start of war up to a certain moment in time, for as long

8 as they say.

9 A. Novoseoci, Vrhbarje, Micivode, Kuti, Knezina, Kaljina,

10 Sahbegovici, and Meljine. These are the villages where Muslims went on

11 living.

12 Q. Can you look at the document and tell us whether it is correct

13 that it was only on the 31st of October that Muslims from Vrhbarje

14 requested to move out from the village? What do you know about that?

15 A. The Muslims of Vrhbarje remained there until 1994. They were

16 there throughout the war living there. They co-operated well with the

17 locals of Zovjedovac [phoen], Vitomira [phoen], and Sarci [phoen], and

18 they really looked after each other. I was present when people be

19 requested to be allowed to leave the area. That was allowed to them

20 eventually. I was there when they greeted each other. Both the Muslims

21 and the Serbs cried. They hugged each other. People then got into their

22 cars and they simply left.

23 Q. Thank you. Did you see a film by the Norwegian television

24 channel about that?

25 A. I heard about it. I didn't see it.

Page 36084

1 Q. You are the one who drafted this document; right?

2 A. Yes. This is a report that I sent to the MUP to the CSB.

3 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can this be admitted?

4 MS. GUSTAFSON: No objection.

5 JUDGE KWON: This document is saying that 61 Muslim civilians

6 were removed. Do you confirm that?

7 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Well, well. These are translations

8 for you.

9 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Karadzic.

10 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] No. They went of their own will.

11 JUDGE KWON: I was asking the witness. Could you read out the

12 document, the main text. Could you read it aloud.

13 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Could you please zoom in a little.

14 "On the 29th of October, 1994 --

15 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

16 Q. Please slow down.

17 A. "On the 29 of October, 1994 --"

18 THE INTERPRETER: The interpreters cannot possibly follow the

19 speed of the witness's reading.

20 JUDGE KWON: The witness is reading the main text.

21 Could you start again, Mr. Obradovic.

22 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

23 Q. Slowly.

24 A. "On the 29th of October, 1994, at 1300 hours, a relocation

25 exercise was carried out from the village of Vrhbarje, municipality of

Page 36085

1 Sokolac. A total of 61 persons of Muslim ethnicity moved out. This was

2 organised by the commissariat for exchanges of Republika Srpska. The

3 policemen from the public security station in Sokolac handed over the

4 aforementioned persons to the KP Dom in Kula and accompanied that

5 hand-over with certificates. There were no other elements over the past

6 ten days that would have had an impact on the security situation as per

7 the order of the President of Republika Srpska."

8 JUDGE KWON: Yes. Please continue, Mr. Karadzic.

9 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] I apologise for the objection, but

10 actually I am grateful to you for having noticed in -- the mistakes in

11 the translation. This will be the main issue that the Defence is going

12 to raise, the accuracy and the correctness of the words in translations.

13 I have no further questions. Has this document been admitted

14 into evidence?

15 JUDGE KWON: Yes. We'll receive it.

16 THE REGISTRAR: Exhibit D3189, Your Honours.

17 JUDGE KWON: Very well. Mr. Obradovic, as you have noted, your

18 evidence in -- evidence in chief in this case has been admitted in most

19 part in writing, that is through your written statement in lieu of your

20 oral testimony, and now you'll be cross-examined by the representative of

21 the Office of the Prosecutor, Ms. Gustafson.

22 MS. GUSTAFSON: Thank you, Your Honour.

23 Cross-examination by Ms. Gustafson:

24 Q. And good afternoon, Mr. Obradovic.

25 A. Good afternoon.

Page 36086

1 Q. A few moments ago you were looking at some photos, I'm sure you

2 recall, of Slavko Batinic's house, and you said that the crime police

3 took these photos on the spot as part of their investigation. That was

4 at page 50. Was that investigation -- did that investigation take place

5 shortly after this incident?

6 A. That happened sometime around 1300 hours. I can't be more

7 precise than that. I don't have those documents. That was reported to

8 the police. The police went to the site and carried out an on-site

9 investigation on that same day as far as I can remember.

10 Q. Okay.

11 MS. GUSTAFSON: Could we go to 1D12076, which I think has

12 been admitted as D3187.

13 Q. And this is one of the photographs you looked at a few moments

14 ago that you said was taken by the crime police as part of this on-site

15 investigation on the same day as this incident.

16 Now, in front of the house, in the bottom right-hand corner of

17 this photograph, you can see some snow on the ground; is that right,

18 Mr. Obradovic?

19 A. There was no snow. The land was dry. I don't know whether this

20 is snow or what. I don't know.

21 Q. That white patch on the ground, you can't conclude that that's

22 snow? Do you have any idea what else that could be other than snow?

23 A. I don't know. I don't know what this is.

24 MS. GUSTAFSON: Could we go to the next one, 1D12077.

25 Q. And again, Mr. Obradovic, in the foreground in front of this

Page 36087

1 house there is snow on the ground, and to the left of the house in the

2 trees somewhat behind the house you can also see snow on the ground in

3 the trees, can't you?

4 A. The photo is true. I don't know what else to say, but there was

5 no snow.

6 Q. Okay. Well, clearly these photographs were not taken by the

7 crime police on the 31st of July when this incident took place; right?

8 A. I believe so, because the police went to the location to take

9 photos of the house and to carry out an on-site investigation on the

10 spot.

11 Q. Okay. But these photos can't be those photos, right, because

12 these photos have snow in them, and those photos were taken on the 31st

13 of July. Do you agree with me?

14 A. Yes.

15 Q. Okay. Thank you. At paragraph 1 of your statement, you said

16 that when the war began, you were the commander of the traffic police

17 station and then later you became the SJB commander. At what date, to

18 the best of your recollection, did you become the SJB commander?

19 A. I don't remember the date, but I believe that that was after all

20 the turmoil that happened. After the Muslims left Sokolac municipality,

21 I became the SJB commander. I was appointed by the MUP.

22 Q. The document we saw a few moments ago from October 1992, I

23 believe, indicated that you were the SJB commander. So you were at least

24 by October the SJB commander. Do you remember how long before that you

25 had been the commander?

Page 36088

1 A. Before that period I was an SJB commander from 1986.

2 Q. Now I think you're maybe confused with your position as the

3 traffic police station commander. I'll just move on.

4 At paragraph 28 of your statement that you said that due to the

5 dismissal of some Serb police in Stari Grad, Zoran Kitic, the SJB chief,

6 asked the Muslim policemen from Sokolac not to come to work any more

7 until this issue was resolved. In fact, Mr. Obradovic, on the 23rd of

8 March, 1992, the Muslim employees of the Sokolac police station and the

9 traffic police station were simply dismissed, and you were involved in

10 informing members of the traffic police, Muslim traffic police officers,

11 of that fact; right?

12 A. You said that I did something in Stari Grad. As far as I can

13 remember, you stated that at the beginning of that sentence. However, I

14 did not have any authority over the police station in Stari Grad. The

15 Muslims in the Stari Grad police station dismissed all the Serb policemen

16 and only Rade Tusija [phoen] remained. After that, Zoran Cvijetic, who

17 was the chief of the police station, invited all of the Muslim police in

18 Sokolac to come to a meeting and he told them that for as long as the

19 staff issues were unresolved in Stari Grad that they should not be

20 returning to work. All the police officers kept their personal weapons,

21 I mean pistols or short-barrelled weapons, and after that I sat down with

22 all those Muslim police officers in our mess. We -- I bought them drinks

23 and coffees. There was -- there were no harsh words said among us.

24 Nobody was angry. I wished them a lot of luck, and I said that I hoped

25 that they would soon come back to work.

Page 36089

1 MS. GUSTAFSON: If we could go to P6089.

2 Q. And if I could ask you, Mr. Obradovic, because my time is very

3 limited, if you could try to focus your answers as much as possible on

4 the precise question that I am asking, and I will try to keep my

5 questions precise.

6 Now, this document is a SRBiH MUP record of statements.

7 A. Can this be zoomed in a little?

8 Q. Yes. And I'm actually going to direct your attention to the next

9 page. This is what some Muslim police officers from Pale and Sokolac

10 said at the time about what had happened in their police stations. And

11 if we could go to the bottom of the second page. It refers to a

12 statement by Mahir Caldarevic. Can you confirm that he was a member of

13 the traffic police in Sokolac?

14 A. Again can this be zoomed in a little?

15 Q. Now, it says that this --

16 THE INTERPRETER: Microphone for the Prosecutor.

17 MS. GUSTAFSON: Pardon me.

18 Q. Mahir Caldarevic said on the 24th of March that on the 23rd he

19 had gone to the traffic safety police station in Sokolac and the

20 commander had told him that the Crisis Staff of Sokolac municipality and

21 the government of the Romanija SAO had decided to remove all policemen of

22 Muslim nationality from work.

23 Now, you were the commander of the traffic police station at the

24 time, so I'm assuming this is a reference to you. Can you confirm that

25 this is what you told Mahir Caldarevic at the time?

Page 36090

1 A. It was not me. It was the chief of the police station,

2 Zoran Cvijetic, who said that, and this person, Mahir Caldarevic, the

3 name doesn't ring any bells. I don't know of any policemen bearing that

4 name. Caldarevic? Mahir Caldarevic. Is it a mistake or something?

5 Mahir Caldarevic, the name doesn't ring a bell as somebody who was

6 affiliated with the police station ever.

7 Q. Okay.

8 MS. GUSTAFSON: If we could go to 65 ter 24848.

9 Q. At paragraph 28 you also said that the Muslim -- even after the

10 Muslim policemen stopped working it be SJB they continued to receive

11 their salaries.

12 A. Until the beginning of war activities, of war operations.

13 Q. This document is MUP list of employees who performed duties at

14 this place station referring to the Sokolac police station in April 1992

15 and received a salary advance for the month.

16 MS. GUSTAFSON: And if we could zoom in -- perhaps we could just

17 go to the B/C/S. Thank you. And zoom in on these names.

18 Q. Now this list of employees who received a salary for April 1992,

19 they're all Serbs; right? There are names on the next page I'd like you

20 to look at as well.

21 Are you looking at the document, Mr. Obradovic?

22 A. Yes, yes. Yes, yes. Look, these are salaries for April. At the

23 beginning of April war started, so they were no longer on our public

24 security station's payroll after that.

25 Q. Okay.

Page 36091

1 MS. GUSTAFSON: I'd like to tender this document, please.

2 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Well, can I just add something?

3 Zdravko Krstic had arrived from Sarajevo and joined our station. People

4 came from Sarajevo to fill the places that those other people abandoned.

5 The war had already started then.

6 JUDGE KWON: Very well. We'll receive this.

7 THE REGISTRAR: As Exhibit P6234, Your Honours.

8 MS. GUSTAFSON:

9 Q. At paragraph 9, Mr. Obradovic, you referred to the Special Police

10 Unit in Sokolac. Was that the unit led by Dusko Malovic?

11 A. Not Dusko Malovic. It was Pera Suka.

12 Q. Were there two Special Police units in Sokolac, because the

13 Chamber has also received evidence of a Special Police Unit from Sokolac

14 led by Dusko Malovic?

15 A. I know that Pera Suka was a commander of this unit.

16 Dusko Malovic's name was mentioned in some context, and I think he worked

17 at the MUP at the time. That's all I know about him.

18 Q. Okay. At paragraph 15 of your statement, you said that it was

19 after events at the end of July and early August, these attacks that you

20 referred to, that the Serbs began pressuring the police and the

21 2nd Romanija Motorised Brigade to disarm Muslim villages, but in fact the

22 Bosnian Serb forces began disarming Muslim villages well before the end

23 of July 1992; isn't that right?

24 A. No, that's not right. There were only attempts at reaching an

25 agreement. When the army started, that's when the fighting started.

Page 36092

1 Again, before that I went to the village --

2 THE INTERPRETER: The interpreters didn't catch the name of the

3 village.

4 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] We discussed the issue of weapons.

5 I told them that they could hand over the weapons for this. They didn't

6 have any permits, whereas if they had permits they could keep them. All

7 of them claimed not to have any weapons in their possession.

8 MS. GUSTAFSON:

9 Q. You answered my question right at the beginning, so I don't need

10 all this detail at the moment. If I need details, I'll follow up with

11 additional questions.

12 MS. GUSTAFSON: If we could go to P5242, please.

13 Q. This is a -- these are the minutes of a Crisis Staff -- a Sokolac

14 Crisis Staff meeting held on the 15th of May, 1992.

15 MS. GUSTAFSON: And if we could go to page 7 in the English and

16 page 8 in the B/C/S, to item 16. And it's at the bottom of the page. If

17 we could make it as large as possible.

18 Q. Item 16 says:

19 "Drago Macar informed those present that the plans for disarming

20 certain villages were made. It was concluded that the decision on the

21 aforementioned shall be made later."

22 Now, Drago Macar was the TO commander at the time and then he

23 became a commander in the VRS when it was formed in late May, right?

24 A. Yes.

25 Q. And he actually died soon after this meeting. On the 2nd of

Page 36093

1 June, 1992, he was killed when his vehicle hit a mine; right?

2 A. He was killed on the front in Gorazde.

3 Q. Right. And that was on the 2nd of June or thereabouts; right?

4 A. Yes, thereabouts. I cannot recall any specific date.

5 Q. Okay. Dr. Karadzic already referred to the evidence of

6 Munira Selmanovic from Novoseoci. She testified that in the spring of

7 1992, Drago Macar came to her village and asked the men to hand in their

8 weapons and they handed over some weapons, and that's P3295, paragraph 3.

9 And in her testimony, she specified that this took place around the 27th

10 of May. That's transcript page 18551. And she also said she knew

11 Drago Macar as he was from the neighbouring village.

12 So it's clear given that Drago Macar was dead around the 2nd of

13 June that Muslim villages began to be disarmed well before late July;

14 right?

15 A. Drago Macar was the neighbour of those people down there in the

16 village, and most probably he talked to them because they started arming

17 themselves extensively. He as a commander may have initiated some action

18 on his own, but in view of the fact that he was the commander, I'm not in

19 a position to comment on what he did.

20 Q. Fair enough. At paragraph 20 you discuss later events in

21 Novoseoci, and you said that approximately 40 Muslims from that village

22 were killed after the civilians from Novoseoci had been evacuated to

23 Sarajevo, and that this suggests, Mr. Obradovic, that those who were

24 killed were not civilians. But in fact what happened was the soldiers

25 came to the village. They separated out every able bodied male from the

Page 36094

1 village, and that included a 15-year-old boy, an 82-year-old man, as well

2 as a number of men in their 60s and 70s, and I refer to P3297 for those

3 facts, and they killed them; right?

4 A. It is correct that 40 men were killed and that that was done by

5 members of the military. I don't know what the cause of that was. I

6 personally condemned that incident and as did all the municipal

7 officials. We thought that to be a heinous act and an operation which

8 blemished the reputation of the municipality of Sokolac. Later on I

9 heard some stories to the effect that five of our men in Kaljina came

10 across an antitank mine and got killed.

11 Q. Thank you. That information is in your statement so I'm just

12 going to move on to my next question. And you also said in your

13 statement that the civilians from Novoseoci were evacuated to Sarajevo.

14 In fact, the women and children were simply ordered onto buses and taken

15 to Sarajevo, right?

16 A. I don't know. I wasn't present on the spot. Somebody did that,

17 but I don't know how. Most probably this is the way it happened.

18 Q. Okay. And you also asserted in your statement that before this

19 killing the Crisis Staff had allowed the villagers to organise armed

20 guard duty during the night. However, the Chamber has received evidence

21 that the authorities disarmed this village. Ms. Selmanovic's evidence

22 that I referred to earlier about Drago Macar's disarming the village in

23 May and P3296, which is the 2nd Romanija Brigade's record of the

24 confiscation of weapons on the 27th of July, 1992. So whatever

25 theoretical permission they may have had from the Crisis Staff to

Page 36095

1 organise armed guard duty to protect themselves would be useless if their

2 weapons had been taken away; right?

3 A. Weapons can be confiscated, but they can easily obtained again.

4 Once they were taken away, new ones would be obtained. And once the war

5 started, people were in possession of weapons.

6 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] In line 16 can we add what witness

7 said at the end of the sentence. He said, "I don't know." [In English]

8 "I don't know."

9 MS. GUSTAFSON:

10 Q. Now, you said in your statement you were informed about the

11 killing of the Muslims from Novoseoci on the 22nd of September, the day

12 it happened, that evening. How did you hear about this? Who told you?

13 A. I don't know exactly who told me. I just heard the news that

14 these people were killed, but I don't know who I heard it from. Since

15 that was a military matter, we did not interfere with that nor did we

16 include any police forces in the investigation.

17 Q. You said you heard the news. So was this more or less general

18 knowledge in the -- in the area by the evening that -- on the day that

19 this killing took place?

20 A. I don't understand your question.

21 Q. You said you couldn't remember who exactly told you. You just

22 heard the news. So my question is was this common knowledge in the area

23 that these men had been killed by the 22nd?

24 JUDGE KWON: Did the witness say he heard the news or he was

25 informed of it?

Page 36096

1 MS. GUSTAFSON: He said, "I don't know exactly who told me. I

2 just heard the news that these people were killed."

3 JUDGE KWON: I was looking at the statement. My apologies.

4 Please continue, Ms. Gustafson.

5 MS. GUSTAFSON:

6 Q. Mr. Obradovic, did you understand the question? Was this

7 something that people were generally talking about by the evening of the

8 22nd?

9 A. Correct.

10 Q. Okay. And I think it's clear from your answers, but if you could

11 just confirm the police didn't conduct any investigation into this

12 incident?

13 A. Police did not conduct any investigation because that was beyond

14 our jurisdiction. It was performed by the military police and the

15 Military Court.

16 Q. Well, the military police and the Military Court didn't

17 investigate either though, did they?

18 A. I don't know about that.

19 Q. Well, do you know, because you lived there at the time, that

20 these victims bodies were only exhumed in the year 2000? That's P3297.

21 A. I don't know about that since in 1993 I was working in Bijeljina.

22 I wasn't aware of the details of this incident nine months later.

23 Q. Okay. So -- but you agree that if a proper investigation had

24 been conducted at the time, these bodies would have been exhumed and

25 examined right away; right?

Page 36097

1 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Calls for speculation even of

2 medical nature.

3 MS. GUSTAFSON: Well, I don't think so. This witness was a

4 police commander at the time. I think he can answer the question.

5 JUDGE KWON: Yes. Can you answer the question, Mr. Obradovic?

6 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] What was the question?

7 MS. GUSTAFSON:

8 Q. That if a proper investigation had been conducted by the military

9 authorities at the time, the bodies of the victims would have been

10 exhumed and identified right away, not in the year 2000; right?

11 A. Yes, that is right, but nobody conducted exhumations in other

12 places as well. Nobody was involved in this kind of activity. But, yes,

13 you are right. If everything had been done properly, that would have

14 been a different case.

15 Q. Okay. Could we have 65 ter --

16 JUDGE KWON: If it is convenient --

17 MS. GUSTAFSON: Oh, of course.

18 JUDGE KWON: We'll have a break for 45 minutes and resume at

19 quarter past 1.00.

20 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] But, please, in the transcript, his

21 answer said that not even Serb bodies were exhumed at the time. That is

22 what the witness said, that not even the Serbs were involved in being

23 exhumed.

24 JUDGE KWON: Very well. That's noted.

25 --- Recess taken at 12.32 p.m.

Page 36098

1 --- On resuming at 1.18 p.m.

2 JUDGE KWON: Yes, Ms. Gustafson, please continue.

3 MS. GUSTAFSON: Thank you. If I could have 65 ter 24854, please.

4 Q. Mr. Obradovic, before the break you had said at page 67 that the

5 military police and Military Court investigated the Novoseoci killings,

6 and then when I put it to you that they didn't investigate either, you

7 said, "I don't know about that."

8 So I'd just like to show you this document which is a report of

9 the 23rd of September, 1992, from the 2nd Romanija Motorised Brigade

10 commander, then Colonel Krstic, to the Main Staff, and at item 1.C, which

11 is a little bit further down the page, it says:

12 "In the villages that were recently...," "ciscenje," translated

13 as "mopped up or cleansed," "... namely Kuti, Micivode, and Novoseoci,

14 the remaining parts of groups managed to withdraw in some places."

15 And the Chamber has already received a report from Krstic of the

16 previous day describing the events in Novoseoci in very similar terms.

17 That's P5438.

18 Now, there is no indication in this report that an investigation

19 into the events in Novoseoci is being conducted or even that a crime has

20 occurred. Colonel Krstic describes what happened in Novoseoci in rather

21 standard military terms, or, sorry, as a standard military operation,

22 doesn't he?

23 MR. ROBINSON: Excuse me, Mr. President. I'm a little late with

24 this, but I'm going to object because all the witness is being asked to

25 do is say what's in the document. He's not -- there's no indication that

Page 36099

1 there was an investigation from this document, and, you know, what the

2 document describes, so I don't believe that the witness can add anything

3 by answering that question.

4 JUDGE KWON: Ms. Gustafson.

5 MS. GUSTAFSON: Well, I asked him that -- I put it to him that

6 the events were being described in standard military terms. I think

7 that's a real question that can be answered. And in any event, it's

8 still a question that goes to impeachment of this witness in terms of his

9 evidence about a subsequent investigation.

10 MR. ROBINSON: Mr. President, what I see here is an attempt to

11 get into evidence a document that shouldn't be gotten into evidence

12 through this witness, so I don't think that it's proper to put up a

13 document for which there is no connection to the witness and ask him

14 something about it.

15 MS. GUSTAFSON: Well, I could easily ask the question another

16 way. He's asserted that there has been an investigation. I could say,

17 "Did you know that Colonel Krstic described the operation in Novoseoci in

18 this manner the day after?" If the Chamber prefers, I could ask the

19 question that way.

20 [Trial Chamber confers]

21 JUDGE KWON: Just a second. Yes. Yes, Mr. Karadzic.

22 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] The problem is that I did not

23 intervene on page 67. The witness did not say that the military police

24 investigated this. He only said that this was beyond the jurisdiction of

25 the regular police, but he never confirmed that the investigation had

Page 36100

1 been conducted by the military police, and that was not recorded in the

2 transcript. Nevertheless, this has been taken as the foundation for this

3 question.

4 JUDGE MORRISON: Well, Dr. Karadzic, you can re-examine on that

5 if you think it's important.

6 JUDGE KWON: Page 67, the witness said police did not conduct any

7 investigation because that was beyond our jurisdiction. And further, the

8 witness said, it was performed by the military police and the

9 Military Court.

10 Do you remember having said that, Mr. Obradovic?

11 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] No. I said that that should have

12 been done by the military police and the Military Court, should have.

13 JUDGE KWON: Ms. Gustafson, the Chamber prefers the formulation

14 you suggested.

15 MS. GUSTAFSON: Certainly.

16 Q. Mr. Obradovic, did you know that the day after the killings in

17 Novoseoci Colonel Krstic described what had happened there as mopping up

18 or cleansing to his commanders?

19 A. How can I know that? Krstic did not submit any reports to me.

20 MS. GUSTAFSON: Okay. I tender this document.

21 MR. ROBINSON: Really, Mr. President, this is a real unfairness

22 to allow a document to be admitted into evidence this way when a witness

23 knows nothing about it, is expected to know nothing about it. It doesn't

24 contradict or confirm anything that he would be expected to know or has

25 said in his testimony. And especially given that General Krstic refuses

Page 36101

1 to testify in this case, it's really unfair to allow this to be

2 considered as evidence.

3 MS. GUSTAFSON: Well, the document is very straightforward, and

4 the purpose for which it's being admitted is simply what Colonel Krstic

5 reported the next day. I mean, it's right there in black and white.

6 Unless there are any authenticity concerns, which I hear none, this

7 document is completely admissible.

8 [Trial Chamber confers]

9 JUDGE KWON: While it is a separate matter whether this document

10 can be admitted through a bar table motion with certain requirements, but

11 the Chamber agrees with Mr. Robinson's observation. We'll not admit this

12 through this witness.

13 MS. GUSTAFSON: If I could have 65 ter 24854, please.

14 Q. Now --

15 MS. GUSTAFSON: This, I think, has been admitted as an associated

16 exhibit as D3180.

17 Q. Mr. Obradovic, you said that the police didn't investigate this

18 crime because it was beyond your jurisdiction.

19 MR. ROBINSON: I think you've maybe given the wrong number,

20 because the --

21 JUDGE KWON: She's given us the exhibit number. You gave the

22 65 ter number of the previous document.

23 MS. GUSTAFSON: Oh, I apologise. Yes, this is the document I

24 want, D3180.

25 Q. Now, you referenced this document in your statement at paragraph

Page 36102

1 22, and you say that it confirmed that you took all legally prescribed

2 measures against individuals who in any way disturbed public law and

3 order and regularly filed criminal reports against such individuals.

4 Now, this document states that the Sokolac SJB had filed four criminal

5 reports against VRS members and had brought misdemeanour proceedings

6 against another ten VRS members, if we go to the next page. Oh, sorry,

7 we've only got the one language.

8 So, Mr. Obradovic, it's clear that you brought charges against

9 VRS members in this instance. You could have done the same for

10 Novoseoci; right?

11 A. No. That's not the same thing. These people against whom

12 reports and criminal reports were filed were not in uniforms, but they

13 were members. They spent a fortnight on the line and then took a rest

14 for two weeks. When they went to town they did not wear uniforms, and

15 for that reason reports were filed against them as civilians, in actual

16 fact they were members of the military, but they committed these felonies

17 and misdemeanors whilst in civilian clothes and proper reports were filed

18 against them accordingly.

19 Q. Okay. Well, let me ask you this: The day that this crime was

20 committed you heard about it informally. You said you can't even

21 remember who told you, but you heard the news. So this was clearly

22 informal information that you had that the perpetrators of this crime

23 were VRS members, and you certainly couldn't have been sure at that point

24 that there were no civilian perpetrators among them. What you could have

25 and should have done is investigated this crime, and if your

Page 36103

1 investigation determined -- confirmed that the perpetrators were VRS

2 members, then you should have arrested them and handed them over to the

3 military authorities for prosecution; right?

4 THE INTERPRETER: Can the witness please repeat.

5 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Is your question relating to this

6 document?

7 MS. GUSTAFSON:

8 Q. No.

9 A. What is it relating to? I didn't understand your question

10 properly.

11 Q. That's fine. I'll ask it again. The day this crime was

12 committed you heard the news that it was VRS members who committed this

13 crime. So this was informal information that you had. You're a police

14 officer. If you had received such information at the time, what you

15 could have and should have done is gone immediately to investigate what

16 happened, and if your investigation had confirmed that these perpetrators

17 were VRS members, at that point you should have handed this over to the

18 military police; right? You shouldn't have just sat there and done

19 nothing when you heard about this horrible crime taking place in your

20 municipality; right?

21 A. The area of military responsibility was the zone where the army

22 was. They had military courts and military police, and wherever members

23 of the military cause problems it was a matter to be dealt with by the

24 army, not by the police.

25 Q. Okay. Let's go to another topic. If I could have 65 ter 24734,

Page 36104

1 please. Now, at paragraph 19 you talked about the villagers of Vrhbarje

2 who you say moved to Sarajevo of their own freewill in October 1994.

3 Now, by this time, by 1994, there very few Muslims left living in Sokolac

4 municipality; right?

5 A. Yes.

6 Q. Okay, this is a statement of a man named Avdija Katica from

7 Vrhbarje. Did you know him?

8 A. I cannot remember his face, but I knew quite a few people of that

9 name.

10 Q. They were from Vrhbarje; is that right?

11 A. Yes.

12 Q. Okay. If we move down to the third and fourth paragraph in this

13 page. It starts about the middle of the page. Mr. Katica talks about

14 what happens prior to this moving out in October, and he explains that in

15 July 1992, Serb neighbours including Ilinka Saric and Drago Djokic -- oh,

16 sorry, my mistake, in this capacity he talks about how the villagers

17 handed in at least most of their weapons to the 2nd Romanija Brigade in

18 July 1992. Can you confirm that this village was disarmed?

19 A. I don't know if they surrendered their weapons. If they did,

20 that means that they were disarmed. But it was never difficult to

21 procure weapons. I may hand in a rifle today and have a new one the next

22 day. So people used to bring weapons with them, for example, from

23 Sarajevo, and distribute them overnight.

24 Q. Okay. And if we go to page 2 in the B/C/S. I'm sorry, this is

25 still on page 1 in the B/C/S, at the bottom. Mr. Katica talks about how

Page 36105

1 Serb neighbours, including Ilinka Saric and Drago Djokic, from

2 Dzedovci [phoen] made it possible for them to survive by assisting them

3 in trading their agricultural products, and in your statement you said

4 you were surprised at the level of care that existed between the Vrhbarje

5 villagers and Serbs in neighbouring villages. Is this the kind of care

6 you were talking about, the Serbs were helping them trade their products?

7 A. Yes, of course. Even today if I cannot sell my cattle, I will

8 look for someone who can do that for me. That's what they did throughout

9 the war. If they needed to sell something, they would look for a person

10 who can arrange that for them.

11 Q. Okay. And if we can go to the next page in the B/C/S, and this

12 is at pages 2 to 3 of the English. Mr. Katica describes how on the 17th

13 of April, 1994, nine men from the village were taken to the

14 2nd Romanija Brigade Commander Krstic and from there they were sent to

15 work on the front line fortifying positions and digging trenches,

16 et cetera, and after 15 days they were allowed to return to the village

17 for two days, then they were taken out again in 15 to 20-day shifts with

18 two day rest periods in between, and this continued until the 30th of

19 July 1994.

20 Were you aware that the men from this village were being taken to

21 the front line to work in the spring and summer of 1994?

22 A. I didn't know. I do know that there were working groups where

23 Serbs participated too, those who did not join the army be it because

24 they refused to or were not mobilised. There were so many Serbs in

25 Sarajevo who dug so many trenches across Mojmilo Polje and elsewhere and

Page 36106

1 yet no one asks about that.

2 Q. Okay. You said I did know that there were working groups where

3 Serbs participated too. So you were aware that there were working groups

4 where Muslims were working. For the military authorities.

5 A. I didn't say Muslim. I know that there were Serbs who

6 volunteered to do so, but I have no knowledge about this matter regarding

7 Krstic.

8 Q. And then if we go to --

9 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Excuse me. I truly ask that it be

10 interpreted as it should. The witness said that Krstic -- I don't know

11 about Krstic mobilising them. This is way too free in interpretation.

12 THE INTERPRETER: Interpreter's note: Could the witness speak

13 loudly, clearly, without mumbling, thank you.

14 MS. GUSTAFSON:

15 Q. Mr. Obradovic, the interpreters have asked that you speak more

16 loudly and clearly to assist in their interpretation. Thank you.

17 If we could go to page -- stay on page 2 of the B/C/S. On the

18 bottom half of the page, Mr. Katica talks about cattle being looted from

19 their village at night throughout 1994 and an incident on the 16th of

20 August, 1994, when mass thieves looted their houses and hit one of the

21 villagers with a rifle butt, and this incident caused the villagers to

22 start spending the night in the woods. Were you aware of these kinds of

23 incidents in the village or the fact that these villagers had started to

24 spend the night in the woods out of fear?

25 A. It is incorrect that they spent their night in the forest. I am

Page 36107

1 aware of this detail because I was present when it took place. Namely,

2 during the day two or three criminals arrived. A person sold a horse and

3 received 400 German marks and they took the money from him. The people

4 from Vrhbarje went to see Sarac, a neighbour, because they were afraid.

5 I was in the field in Sokolovici. They called me and myself and --

6 THE INTERPRETER: Could the witness please repeat the name.

7 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] -- went to see this Sarac in the

8 village.

9 JUDGE KWON: The interpreters didn't hear the name.

10 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Dovar [phoen] Sarac.

11 JUDGE KWON: And could you start over from there?

12 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Who did you go with? That's the

13 name they didn't pick up.

14 THE INTERPRETER: Could the witness please wait for the end of

15 interpretation. We didn't hear it again.

16 JUDGE KWON: Interpreters couldn't hear you because you spoke

17 while they interpreted Mr. Karadzic's words. So who did you go with?

18 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Milovan Zuban, deputy commander of

19 the station in Sokolac.

20 JUDGE KWON: I leave it to you, Ms. Gustafson.

21 MS. GUSTAFSON:

22 Q. Okay. It's still not clear, Mr. Obradovic, how you can confirm

23 that these villagers didn't start spending the night in the woods after

24 this event. You weren't in that village every night to confirm where

25 they were at night, were you?

Page 36108

1 A. You didn't allow me to finish, to explain. Namely, having

2 arrived in the village to Mr. Sarac, there were 60 people, women and

3 children included, were seated in the house. When I asked them what had

4 happened, they explained that Hamo -- that someone had taken -- had hit

5 Hamo and took 400 German marks from him. He suffered lightly bodily

6 injuries, and policeman Zuban took him to Podromanija, to the military

7 hospital. He was administered help and his bruise was taken care of. He

8 had a cut. I tried to have the woman who saw it describe the person

9 involved to me. She started describing, and in the meantime someone else

10 asked me something. When I turned round and when I responded and turned

11 back, the woman had gone. No one else wished to provide any statements.

12 That evening, I called another two policemen. We returned them

13 home. We put each of them in their house, and I left policemen to guard

14 them that day and the next several nights because they were afraid.

15 THE INTERPRETER: Could the witness please repeat.

16 JUDGE KWON: Probably you are speaking too fast again.

17 "We put each of them in the house and I left policemen to guard

18 them that day and the next several nights because they were afraid."

19 Please repeat what you said after that, slowly.

20 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] After you what have just read? Of

21 course, there were criminal groups who went to villages. They even came

22 to my mother who was alone in the village at the time, but no one ran,

23 and I guaranteed every evening that they would receive a policeman if

24 necessary so that one or two policemen would guard the village.

25 MS. GUSTAFSON:

Page 36109

1 Q. Well, you said you left policemen there to guard them that day

2 and the next several nights. So after that, you don't know what happened

3 at night in that village, do you?

4 A. After that I think I provided policemen for five or six days to

5 secure the village, and after that I had no reports of anyone attacking

6 them in that village. It was a coincidence. It could have happened to

7 any Serb. It happened that people came, took money, those criminal

8 groups that were later caught, and reports were submitted against them.

9 Q. Okay. Then at the bottom of this page and at the top of the next

10 page Mr. Katica describes how a man by the name of Djurkovic, the

11 Municipal Assembly secretary, came to the village on the 10th of October,

12 1994, to speak with the villagers about their intentions, and Mr. Katica

13 said that if the authorities could not guarantee their safety, then they

14 should be allowed to go to Sarajevo. And then other officials came to

15 the village to discuss the conditions of their departure, including

16 municipal president Milan Tupajic.

17 Now, was this transfer arranged by the civilian authorities as

18 described here?

19 A. They asked to go. I don't know what they discussed with Tupajic

20 or with that man, the other one that is mentioned. I only know when they

21 were supposed to go we went there as the police to provide security so

22 that everything would end safely in terms of their departure.

23 Q. So although you assert that they left of their freewill, you have

24 no knowledge of their discussion with the civilian authorities who

25 arranged their transfer; is that right?

Page 36110

1 A. I have no such knowledge. No one invited me to those talks, and

2 I can't discuss something that I was not present at.

3 Q. Okay. And at the bottom of page 2 in the B/C/S, Mr. Katica

4 states that on the 29th of October, 1994, they were bused out of the

5 village escorted by a policeman named Ivan Sarac, and instead of going to

6 Sarajevo for exchange as they had been told, they were taken to Kula

7 prison.

8 Now, earlier in your testimony today you said that these people

9 got into their cars and simply left, and that was at page 55. However,

10 they were, in fact, taken under police escort to Kula prison; right?

11 A. They were taken by bus. I didn't say vehicles. I think some

12 international community representatives were present there. They were

13 taken to Kula. I don't know what happened next. Kula is right next to

14 the border near Sarajevo. The border passed by Kula.

15 Q. And Kula is a prison; right?

16 A. Kula is a settlement, and there's a prison at Kula.

17 Q. They were taken to Kula prison, weren't they, Mr. Obradovic,

18 escorted by the Sokolac police?

19 A. They were take to the Kula location where there is a prison. The

20 police returned from Kula. Now, what else did the authorities do later

21 on is something I don't know.

22 Q. Well, let's look at something you do know or you did know at the

23 time, and that's at D3189, and again this is a document that's referenced

24 in your statement and that you actually looked at earlier today. This is

25 your document signed by you that says that on the 29th of October, 1994,

Page 36111

1 the day Mr. Katica confirms they were moved out, 61 Muslim civilians were

2 removed from the village of Vrhbarje. The next sentence says:

3 "They were turned over by policemen of the Sokolac police

4 station to the Kula penal and correctional facility with a receipt."

5 I'm going to ask you again, Mr. Obradovic. These people were

6 taken to Kula prison escorted by the Sokolac police, weren't they?

7 A. The exchange commission was present, too, and it was stated that

8 they were to be taken to Kula. How should I know what was done later on?

9 It's mentioned that there was this Commission for Exchange. They should

10 have taken care of it. Even if they were taken to Kula, again they were

11 exchanged.

12 Q. Mr. Obradovic, it's a very simple question. You're not answering

13 it. I'm going to move on.

14 You make assertions about fighting that occurred in other

15 villages, villages which you claim were armed with all kinds of infantry

16 weapons, and that's at paragraph 30. Now, the Chamber received evidence

17 from a witness who saw one of those villages, Meljine, being shelled by

18 tanks and howitzers and burning, and that's P131, page 9. Did you

19 actually witness the attack on this village?

20 A. No.

21 Q. Okay. And did you know these villages were being shelled?

22 A. Well, that operation was carried out by the army. I couldn't

23 even get near there. It was within their remit.

24 Q. Okay. At paragraph 25 of your statement you said that a military

25 detention facility was set up in the primary school in Sokolac, and it

Page 36112

1 was there for ten days or so --

2 MS. GUSTAFSON: Oh, I apologise, Your Honours. I intended to

3 tender Mr. Katica's statement. I should have done that before I moved on

4 to the next topic. That's 65 ter 24734.

5 MR. ROBINSON: Yes, Mr. President. If you're going to -- we

6 object to the admission of this statement, but if you are going to admit

7 some parts of it, we think you have to be very careful in admitting only

8 those parts that were confirmed or contradicted by the witness. There

9 are a couple of -- there's a paragraph on page 2. I have to call this

10 document up in front of me again but -- I can give you more specifics,

11 but there's a paragraph on page 2 that I think can -- was confirmed by

12 the witness concerning the care that was taken for their -- people in

13 their village, and I believe there was a paragraph on page 3 that was

14 confirmed by the witness concerning thieves that came and looted from

15 them, and then on page 4 concerning their transportation to Kula prison

16 there was a paragraph.

17 So I think that those three paragraphs were confirmed or

18 contradicted testimony of the witness, but there's a lot of other

19 information in the statement that has nothing to do with anything that

20 was even asked of the witness and some things that the witness didn't

21 confirm. So if you are going to admit a third-party statement made three

22 years after the event to law enforcement, then I would think it has to be

23 very limited. Thank you.

24 JUDGE KWON: Yes, Ms. Gustafson.

25 MS. GUSTAFSON: Thank you. Well, the witness certainly confirmed

Page 36113

1 various aspects of the statement and indeed the entire statement does

2 contradict the witness's assertion that these people went to Sarajevo of

3 their own free will. The thrust of the statement is quite the contrary,

4 so I think that coupled with the fact that aspects of this statement were

5 confirmed and indeed corroborated exactly with the -- the documents --

6 the document that was admitted through this witness, I believe it meets

7 the standard for the admission of these types of documents.

8 [Trial Chamber confers]

9 JUDGE KWON: In light of the witness's answer that he was present

10 when it took place, the Chamber is of the view it can admit the document

11 in its entirety. It's only three pages.

12 Yes, we'll receive it.

13 THE REGISTRAR: As Exhibit P6235, Your Honours.

14 MS. GUSTAFSON:

15 Q. Mr. Obradovic, at paragraph 25 you said that there was a military

16 detention facility set up in the primary school in Sokolac and it was

17 only there for ten days or so when it is relocated to the primary school

18 in Cavarine at the beginning of October. Now, you said it was a military

19 detention facility. Was this facility under the authority of the

20 2nd Romanija Motorised Brigade?

21 A. What was under whom?

22 Q. The military detection facility that you state was set up at the

23 primary school in Sokolac and then was relocated to the primary school in

24 Cavarine.

25 A. Yes.

Page 36114

1 Q. Now, you said that it was only in operation at the primary school

2 for about ten days or so. Can I ask you what the source of your

3 information is for that?

4 A. I simply heard of it. I didn't go there.

5 THE INTERPRETER: Could the witness please repeat the last

6 portion of the sentence.

7 MS. GUSTAFSON:

8 Q. The interpreters didn't hear the last part of your sentence.

9 Could you repeat your sentence, please.

10 A. I heard that there was some kind of detention for a few days at

11 the school and that it was later moved to Cavarine. I never went there,

12 and I don't know what the conditions there were and what sort of thing

13 was there.

14 Q. Okay. The Chamber's received evidence that that detention

15 facility in the primary school in Sokolac was in operation from July 1992

16 until October 1992. So a lot longer than ten days. Now I take it based

17 on the fact that you never went there and you only heard about this that

18 you can't exclude the possibility that you are wrong about the dates

19 during which this facility operated at the primary school?

20 A. I think it was for a short time only. After some time it was

21 used to receive Serb refugees who came from Sarajevo and other places.

22 Even Muslims from Sarajevo came there. There was a woman with her two

23 children who was accommodated there.

24 Q. But you can't be sure that it was only in operation for ten days.

25 It could have been in operation for longer than that prior to October --

Page 36115

1 or, sorry, prior to September 1992; is that right?

2 A. I can't say whether it worked for five or ten days. I don't know

3 any exact dates.

4 Q. Okay. I'm putting it to you that it was in operation for a lot

5 longer than that, several months. Can you exclude that possibility or

6 should we go through the documents?

7 A. I don't know how long it operated. I don't know exactly. I know

8 that refugees came after that and that they were placed at the school.

9 Q. Okay. At paragraphs 23 and 24, you discuss the detention of

10 people at the Sokolac SJB, including Becir Homarac who was from Micivode,

11 a neighbouring village of yours. This was someone that you knew. Now

12 you said -- now after his detention at the SJB, he was sent to the

13 military detention facility at Cavarine; right?

14 A. Not that it was closed -- that he was detained, but he was held

15 when he was interviewed by members of the state security. Then he was

16 sent to that detention there, because he had nowhere to return. Those

17 villages had been cleansed.

18 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Interpretation. The Prosecutor

19 said detention, and the witness received interpretation that he was

20 imprisoned.

21 MS. GUSTAFSON: Well, I'm not sure how much of a difference that

22 makes, but that's on the record now.

23 Q. Okay. So at paragraph 23 of your statement you said that after

24 people had been held at the Sokolac SJB, the person would either be

25 released or referred to the prosecutor for further action. It's clear

Page 36116

1 from your answer just now that Mr. Homarac was neither released nor

2 referred to the prosecutor. He was sent to detention at Cavarine. So

3 that was a third option, wasn't it. They were either released, referred

4 to the prosecutor, or they were sent to military detention; right?

5 A. Well, he was sent to Cavarine for an exchange because in

6 Micivode, his village, there were no more people. I can't return him to

7 Micivode to walk around the village alone.

8 Q. So you assert that it was for his own safety that he was sent to

9 a military prison instead of being allowed to go home; is that correct,

10 Mr. Obradovic?

11 A. He couldn't return home because there were no people up there.

12 He would have remained alone, and for security reasons he was to be

13 evenings changed. That's how Serbs were exchanged from Sarajevo as well.

14 Q. Okay. I'd just like to go to one last topic and document, it's

15 65 ter 01110.

16 Now, Mr. Obradovic, Mr. Milan Tupajic was the president of the

17 Sokolac municipality during the war; right?

18 A. Correct.

19 Q. Now, this is Mr. Tupajic's answer to a telegram sent from

20 Dr. Karadzic to various municipality presidents, including him. It's

21 D95. And that telegram had placed responsibility on municipal presidents

22 to ensure the protection of Muslims and Croats who hand over their

23 weapons and do not intend to fight.

24 Now, you can see here that Mr. Tupajic states several things in

25 response. First of all, he says that the headquarters of the TO has not

Page 36117

1 existed since the 21st of May, 1992. Now, that's a reflection of the

2 fact that the Sokolac TO had been incorporated into the VRS at that time;

3 right?

4 A. Yes, to the 2nd Romanija.

5 Q. And he says that the chief of the SJB had submitted his

6 resignation. Is that correct? Did the chief of the SJB submit his

7 resignation sometime in the summer of 1992?

8 A. I don't know if he submitted his resignation or whether he was

9 removed. His name was Rado Birac.

10 Q. But he left his position; is that right?

11 A. Correct. If you want me to explain, the man is a writer, a poet.

12 He joined the station and all of the problems that happened. He thought

13 that he could deal with them slowly.

14 Q. That's fine. I don't think we need that level of detail at the

15 moment.

16 Now, Mr. Tupajic, at the end of this message says that the

17 protection of the local Muslim population has to be taken by the

18 2nd Romanija Brigade and the SJB. Now, those were the two organs in

19 Sokolac at the time with primary responsibility for security matters;

20 right?

21 A. [No interpretation]

22 Q. I think I heard you agree, but I didn't hear an interpretation.

23 THE INTERPRETER: The interpreter did not hear the witness.

24 MS. GUSTAFSON:

25 Q. Can you just repeat your answer, please, Mr. Obradovic.

Page 36118

1 A. Those two organs deal with security in the territory of a

2 municipality.

3 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Obradovic, could you come closer to the

4 microphone. Yes. Thank you.

5 MS. GUSTAFSON:

6 Q. And at the end of this message Mr. Tupajic says:

7 "In conditions as they are now, I cannot take responsibility for

8 their safety."

9 Now, it's correct, is it not, that the president of the

10 municipality was not anywhere in the chain of command of the Sokolac SJB?

11 A. Correct.

12 Q. And similarly, he was not in the chain of command of the

13 2nd Romanija Brigade?

14 A. Correct.

15 Q. Thank you. I tender this document and I have no further

16 questions.

17 MR. ROBINSON: Objection, Mr. President. This witness can't

18 speak to this document at all. He can -- there -- you know, he can

19 identify certain organs that are mentioned in the document. This is a

20 subterfuge, you know, to have the Prosecution admit through a witness who

21 can't speak to a document evidence that will reflect on Mr. Karadzic's

22 knowledge, notice, things like that that should have been put through a

23 witness who could speak to those issues, not to smuggle them in through

24 another witness who can only say that, "Yes the MUP was working at this

25 time," or "The TO was not working," and then to use that as some kind of

Page 36119

1 pretext to admit the document. So we think that on balance the

2 prejudicial effect of admitting a document in this manner would outweigh

3 any probative value that you might get from admitting given this

4 witness's answers.

5 JUDGE KWON: Yes, Ms. Gustafson.

6 MS. GUSTAFSON: Yes, Your Honours. There is no subterfuge here.

7 I think this -- I mean, the witness has confirmed virtually every aspect

8 of the document. He's confirmed the position of the author, the date of

9 incorporation of the TO into the VRS, the fact that the chief of the

10 public security station had left his job, the organs responsible for

11 security and Mr. Tupajic's position or not in the chain of authority of

12 those organs. I mean, this -- every aspect of this document has been

13 confirmed. These documents are admitted as a matter of course.

14 [Trial Chamber confers]

15 JUDGE KWON: Yes. The Chamber agrees with Ms. Gustafson. We'll

16 admit it.

17 THE REGISTRAR: As Exhibit P6236, Your Honours.

18 JUDGE KWON: Yes, Mr. Karadzic, do you have re-examination?

19 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Yes, your Excellency.

20 Re-examination by Mr. Karadzic:

21 Q. [Interpretation] Since the document is on the screen, could you

22 please first tell us: Besides physical security, could the municipality

23 do anything else for the citizens including Muslims, and did it do

24 something for them?

25 A. Whatever the citizens of the municipality needed they got from

Page 36120

1 the municipality to the extent of the municipality's abilities to do so.

2 Q. Thank you. Could you please tell us whether on the 14th of July

3 it was confirmed that the measures of disarming Muslims were not

4 implemented in the territory of the municipality?

5 A. That's correct.

6 Q. This is in relation to a question that was put to you during

7 cross-examination. Allegedly what Macar collected from his neighbours

8 was considered official disarming. Before mid-July, were there any

9 efforts to disarm Muslims officially?

10 A. Nothing happened before mid-July. Macar talked to his

11 neighbours, but they did not surrender their weapons at the time, I

12 think.

13 Q. Thank you. Now let us display another document. Let us see what

14 was handed over in that village. Let's look at D1667. You have already

15 told us that it was not difficult to obtain weapons, but let us look at

16 this report and let us see what the army had to say about that. D1667.

17 The command of the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps sent this on the 27th

18 of July, 1992. At the end -- or, rather, in the second half of the

19 passage, Novoseoci village, can you see that?

20 A. Yes.

21 THE INTERPRETER: The accused is reading too fast. There is no

22 English translation on the screen. We cannot interpret.

23 JUDGE KWON: Without showing the English version, it's very

24 difficult for interpreters to follow. So -- but we may collapse the

25 English one for the benefit of the witness. Please read very slowly.

Page 36121

1 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

2 Q. This is the only thing I can control, reading slowly. The rest

3 is out of my hands. Let me repeat:

4 "In the village of Novoseoci south of Sokolac, some 5 or 6

5 kilometres away from Sokolac, the weapons and lethal assets were handed

6 over by the Muslim population to the representatives of the

7 2nd Romanija Brigade. The hand-over was carried out pursuant to an

8 agreement and it is considered that the surrender was not complete, i.e.,

9 that not all the weapons were surrendered. On the 27th of July the

10 military reported that not everything was handed over. How does that

11 tally with what you knew as a police officer?

12 A. I don't have the document on the screen. I know that very little

13 was handed over, that both sides laughed. The surrender was just

14 ridiculous. I don't know how much was surrendered, but it was very

15 little.

16 Q. Thank you. Just a while ago we saw a reply by the president of

17 the Municipal Assembly. Let us look at 65 ter 5377. Did you know what

18 my position was with regard to the protection of the population of Muslim

19 ethnicity which was not engaged in the fighting?

20 A. I don't have that text in front of me.

21 Q. You don't need it. What did you know? Leave aside the text.

22 Did you know anything about my position in this regard?

23 A. I was aware of your position because I was listening to you at a

24 meeting at the municipality of Sokolac which I attended. You invited

25 people to live together. You said that one ethnicity could not be

Page 36122

1 expelled from an area, that Muslims should be provided all the staples

2 for a normal life, that they should be protected on the ground, and to

3 allow them to work and live freely. You especially emphasised and

4 underlined the Geneva Conventions, and I believe that you spoke very well

5 at that meeting and that you said exactly what should be honoured in the

6 war in order to avoid any possible problems.

7 Q. Thank you.

8 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can we now look at -- look at

9 65 ter 5377.

10 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation].

11 Q. We saw that the previous document was a reply to a telegram of

12 mine. Please cast a glance at this document which will appear sometime

13 soon on the screen for you to see. Can you read the document? It is in

14 the Latinic script. The Trial Chamber can do it as well. Were you aware

15 of this position of mine? Were you aware of such telegrams that I

16 dispatched? How does this tally with what you knew about my position?

17 A. I don't have it in the Serbian.

18 Q. It is in harping. It says here --

19 A. "All the villages" --

20 Q. "... in which the Muslim population under" -- I don't see the

21 word in between.

22 A. "... surrender weapons and do not intend to fight against us must

23 enjoy the full protection of our Serbian Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

24 President of the municipalities will be responsible for this."

25 Q. Thank you. How does this tally with what you knew about my

Page 36123

1 position with regard to minorities?

2 A. The document is self-explanatory. It says here that those people

3 must be protected on the ground and that they are protect on the ground,

4 that they enjoy protection.

5 Q. Thank you.

6 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can this be admitted?

7 MS. GUSTAFSON: I have no objection. I just note that the

8 contents are virtually duplicative of D95. It's not in exactly the same

9 form in the sense that this is the individual telegram, whereas the other

10 document repeats the contents of the telegram. It says that it's been

11 sent to the following municipalities. So I'm not sure it's necessary to

12 have this in evidence, but I don't object.

13 JUDGE KWON: Can we see D95.

14 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Yes, that's correct. It is a group

15 of telegrams. This was sent to Sokolac. There were others that were

16 sent to other municipalities. It is 65 ter 01109, and there is also a D

17 number.

18 THE INTERPRETER: The interpreter is not sure that she got the

19 65 ter number correctly.

20 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] This text is the same but this

21 telegram is proof that it was delivered to Sokolac.

22 JUDGE KWON: Yes, we'll receive that separately, i.e., 65 ter

23 5377.

24 THE REGISTRAR: As Exhibit D3190, Your Honours.

25 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you.

Page 36124

1 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

2 Q. Mr. Obradovic, you said and you confirmed that before the 21st of

3 July there was no fighting. How did things develop? Was the peace

4 preserved? Was there fighting? If there was fighting did it subside or

5 did it intensify?

6 A. Towards the end of August, as I've already told you, the villages

7 that didn't want to surrender weapons were approached by the

8 2nd Romanija Brigade in order to disarm them. However, they opened fire

9 on the 2nd Romanija Brigade, and since their numbers were smaller they

10 had to withdraw from the villages.

11 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] I would like to look at 1D4391,

12 dated 19 September, three days before the developments in Novoseoci.

13 1D4391.

14 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation].

15 Q. The brigade commander Krstic reported on the 19th of September,

16 and says:

17 "Due to frequent provocations and attacks on our positions in

18 Serbia [as interpreted] population by Muslim extremists, we wish --" and

19 I will stop here.

20 Were there any civilian Serb casualties at the hand of the

21 Muslims?

22 A. Of course. In Cvrcici village they killed three people.

23 Jovan Sekulic was killed in a particularly heinous way. They skinned

24 him. They inserted a rod in his penis and left him alive, and the --

25 that was a terrible state. And then Saffron Krsmanovic was killed. He

Page 36125

1 was driving in his village. He was shot at. Saffron was killed, his son

2 Milenko was injured, and the tractor was pierced with bullets. Peric who

3 escaped from the shooting went missing and his whereabouts are not known.

4 His remains have never been found, but he's not among the living.

5 In the village of Dzimrije, which is not in our municipality,

6 another man was killed. In the village of Ozarkovici, another man was

7 killed. In all the borders areas there were casualties. In

8 Gornje Babine Milomir Batinic was shot at but he managed to escape to

9 Sokolac.

10 This is proof that there were casualties there, including the

11 seven people who were taken to Zenica, to the prison there. In other

12 words, there were a lot of dead around our municipality in the suburbs.

13 Since all the Serbs were engaged in the army that they joined the

14 2nd Romanija and the 216th, the Serbian village were empty and the

15 Muslims in the neighbouring villages were armed. They were at a distance

16 of 5 to 10 minutes. They arrived from Zepa and from elsewhere. So those

17 villages were reinforced by men, and they had sent their women and

18 children to Sarajevo. Imagine a village where there are women and

19 children and another village where there are only armed men. How could

20 the Serbs sleep calmly? It's -- the way it transpires is that they were

21 not left alone but -- by us but it was just the other way round.

22 Q. When you said empty Serb villages, what did you have in mind,

23 what kind of emptiness?

24 A. Well, the lack of people who were able to fight, the lack of men

25 fit for combat and resistance.

Page 36126

1 Q. Thank you. Now it says here:

2 [As read] "We inform you that on the 20th and 21st of September,

3 1992, we are going to carry out active operation towards the villages of

4 Kuti and Micivode with the aim of liberating the Serb villages from the

5 Muslim extremists."

6 Does this imply that they are going to be liberated from ordinary

7 civilians or extremists?

8 A. From extremists, because everybody who had weapons were

9 extremists.

10 Q. So without reading the remaining part of this document, can it be

11 admitted into evidence, please?

12 JUDGE KWON: Yes. We'll receive it.

13 THE REGISTRAR: As Exhibit D3191, Your Honours.

14 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

15 Q. Thank you. Do you recall that on the 21st and the 22nd, the

16 2nd Romanija Brigade incurred losses? Were there any burials in Sokolac

17 on the 22nd?

18 A. On the 21st of July you mean?

19 Q. September.

20 A. There were funerals, but I don't remember whose it was. If you

21 would give me a name I might remember.

22 Q. In paragraph 20 you mention some soldiers who lost their lives.

23 A. That was in the village of Kaljina. I tried to speak about that

24 a while ago but we skipped it. They were returning from the front line,

25 from their positions. The Muslims were deep in our territory in the

Page 36127

1 village of Kaljina or there about, and they planted mines there that

2 killed four or five men amongst whom was Nenad Tabakovic. So four or

3 five soldiers were killed on that occasion which was immediately before

4 the incident in Novoseoci.

5 Q. Thank you.

6 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can we now look at 1D4390, please.

7 I believe that the Prosecution might have a better number that conceals a

8 translation as well.

9 Could the other participants have a translation.

10 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation].

11 Q. So 20th of September that -- 22nd of September, that is the day

12 when the incident in Novoseoci took place?

13 A. Yes.

14 JUDGE KWON: I don't see an English translation for this.

15 Please continue, Mr. Karadzic.

16 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] The translation is going to appear.

17 We'll find it.

18 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation].

19 Q. Now, you can see that this is a combat report by the

20 2nd Romanija Brigade. Can we look at the bottom of the page.

21 65 ter 24854 is identically the same with the exception of paragraph D

22 which reads:

23 [As read] "During the previous night and day, the brigade

24 suffered losses from the 4th Motorised Battalion. Two soldiers whose

25 names we do not know were killed, and those were Bogdan Borovcanin and

Page 36128

1 Darko Krsmanovic."

2 THE INTERPRETER: Could Mr. Karadzic wait until the

3 interpretation is completed.

4 JUDGE KWON: I can't find document in that number but yes.

5 MS. GUSTAFSON: I think that -- it's not identical, but I think

6 the same -- essentially the same contents are in the 22nd of September

7 report that's in evidence as P5438. It seems to be in a different format

8 but I think this information is in that exhibit.

9 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you. In this document

10 paragraph D was supplemented by providing the names of the victims from

11 the 2nd Romanija Brigade. It seems that what I read was not recorded, so

12 it can perhaps be admitted into evidence if -- I'm going to continue:

13 "... Bogdan Borovcanin, Darko Krsmanovic, and Nenad Tabakovic.

14 One member of the 1st Motorised Battalion was injured."

15 Now, can we have this document -- well, we didn't hear

16 Mr. Obradovic's response.

17 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Yes, it is correct that these three

18 were killed and that one was injured.

19 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Karadzic, I understand that this document is

20 already in evidence as P5438.

21 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Yes, Your Excellency, except that

22 in this version paragraph D is shorter, but wait a minute. As I see it,

23 it seems there is something there after all.

24 JUDGE KWON: Why don't we show Mr. Karadzic the second page.

25 D -- I think I was able to follow everything you read out.

Page 36129

1 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Yes, yes. Now I see that they are

2 identical. Thank you. There is another version without the names, and

3 then we had a Serbian version with the names. So since this is in

4 evidence, we're not going to tender it into evidence.

5 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

6 Q. Can you tell us, do you know exactly on which date these men from

7 Novoseoci were killed? In what way and who did this, which unit? And

8 who was the commander?

9 A. Well, there is the date somewhere. You are confusing me a bit.

10 I have trouble following you.

11 Q. Let me help you. The Prosecutor asked you if you received formal

12 information about that. You said that it was informal. On page 67, you

13 were asked the following: It was common knowledge what happened in

14 Novoseoci, and you said yes.

15 When you said that, did you mean that everybody knew that or did

16 you know that as an official?

17 A. I knew that in my official capacity, but stories were circulating

18 around Sokolac regarding the killing.

19 Q. Thank you. Do you know any details? Were these people shot dead

20 and what were the circumstances under the killings took place?

21 A. I don't have that information.

22 Q. In paragraph 30, you speak about the fact that some villages put

23 up resistance and that fighting developed there.

24 A. Yes.

25 Q. Now, look what this document says. It speaks about operations,

Page 36130

1 active operations, from infantry weapons and mortars.

2 "During last day and night, the enemy attacked our forces along

3 several axes in the sector of defence of our forces, and these operations

4 are carried out with the use of antitank mines, mortars, and other

5 weapons."

6 How does this correspond with the knowledge that you have about

7 fighting taking place there?

8 A. I heard that there was fighting in the area, and I heard that

9 they had antitank shells, that they had mortars, that the village of

10 Meljine was engaged in combat with the 2nd Romanija Brigade.

11 Q. Thank you. In paragraph on page 64 in Exhibit P3296, you -- it

12 was put to you that Mr. Macar said that plans had been drawn up for

13 disarming individuals in possession of illegal weapons way back in May.

14 Does that mean that these plans were immediately implemented?

15 A. Well, they were not implemented until the fighting started. When

16 the 2nd Romanija Brigade started and wanted to disarm the people, that's

17 when the fighting broke out because they resisted these attempts. If

18 there had not about any resistance there would not have been any

19 fighting.

20 Q. Thank you. Can you tell us -- you said that there was in the

21 border areas, these Muslims who attacked Serb civilians, where did they

22 all come from?

23 A. Well, those were mostly people from the villages on the edges of

24 the municipality, the village of Kaljina, Ivazovici [phoen], Gornja Selo,

25 Sasevci [phoen], and Meljine.

Page 36131

1 Q. Thank you. Can you rule out the possibility that these attacks

2 were carried out by people from Novoseoci, and did you have any

3 information about the groups that raided the area from Olovo and other

4 places?

5 A. According to Krstic's report, there were 7.000 armed men in

6 Olovo. There were 30 to 40 in Kaljina, and in Knezina and other Muslim

7 villages, there were approximately 30 to 40 armed men respectively, and

8 he said that the attack came from Golovo through these villages in order

9 to create confusion in the Serbian Army and enable them to link up with

10 Zepa, then Visegrad, and Ilivaca, and eventually to capture the whole

11 area and link it up with Pale and Sarajevo.

12 Q. Thank you.

13 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can you please look at 1D4389. Can

14 we please zoom in and can the other participants be provided with a

15 translation in display.

16 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation].

17 Q. This is a combat report dated the 23rd of September, which is one

18 day after the Novoseoci incident. In the second paragraph, it says that

19 the enemy's trying to constantly infiltrate sabotage group lay mines on

20 supply roads and therefore create confusion and cut off supply channels

21 in the sector of Karacic, Olovske Luke. There were several soldiers who

22 were wounded and the attack was repelled, et cetera.

23 What do you know about the activities of these groups and was

24 this sabotage and terrorist activity something that endangered the

25 civilians and the army?

Page 36132

1 A. There were several incidents that landmines were planted on a

2 number of roads because after these several killings the army placed the

3 roads under their control. All of this had an adverse effect on the

4 Serbian people, causing them to be frightened and posting guards around

5 their houses.

6 Q. Thank you. Can we have the next page. Let's look at item C. It

7 reads:

8 "In villages that have been recently mopped up, Kuti, Micivode,

9 and Novoseoci, there are still straggling groups which escaped, which is

10 why some units are searching the area and discovering and destroying

11 these groups as well as controlling roads and important routes."

12 Further down it says that someone was buried in Sokolac and so on

13 and so forth.

14 What did you know about the arming of these groups? Were they

15 armed, and did they also lay mines deep inside our territory?

16 A. I know that a group was detected in the area of Kustravica in

17 late 1993. They were moving through villages across Mount Devetak going

18 as far as the Drina almost. Another route they used was across

19 Kopito hill, also deep inside our territory. There was a group of people

20 who were in contact with Zepa, so such groups constantly moved through

21 the wooded area such as Devetak, Kustravica, and further afield to Olovo

22 and Sarajevo.

23 Q. Thank you. As a policeman, please tell us: When you received

24 such reports, would you be able to find elements to launch an

25 investigation?

Page 36133

1 A. An investigation against whom?

2 Q. Are there indications here that there were some unlawful

3 killings?

4 A. Of course there were unlawful killings. You wait for someone in

5 his own territory, you lay mines, and people get killed. Of course

6 investigations were supposed to be launched if it was known who did it,

7 but the army was in no position to find that out.

8 Q. Thank you. My question is this: Based on this report, would you

9 have initiated an investigation against the 2nd Romanija Brigade? Does

10 it contain certain elements of unlawful behaviour?

11 A. I don't know why I would launch a report when the Muslims were

12 doing worse on their side than these people were on ours.

13 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you. Can this be admitted?

14 MS. GUSTAFSON: No objection.

15 JUDGE KWON: Yes. We'll receive it.

16 THE REGISTRAR: As Exhibit D3192, Your Honours.

17 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

18 Q. Mr. Obradovic, did you have enough? How many policemen did you

19 have? Did you have enough police forces to go about your duties, and did

20 your policemen join the forces at the front line or were they all at your

21 disposal?

22 A. We did not have enough forces even to carry out purely

23 political -- police tasks. There were cases of breakthrough through the

24 lines when police were used to patch up at such locations, so the police

25 did take part in combat. They would go for five or six days and there

Page 36134

1 would be a rotation of another group -- with another group. So we never

2 had enough men, especially not trained men who could do that.

3 Q. Thank you. Can we look at 1D7974. This is from the

4 Executive Board of Sokolac municipality. The date is 24th of September,

5 two days following Sokolac. The second item it says there is a unanimous

6 conclusion that there are no bases for the implementation of legal and

7 other regulation. In paragraph 4 it states:

8 [As read] "The public security station is in no position to

9 prevent looting, smuggling, and armed attacks on civilians. Not even the

10 introduction of the curfew did provide any visible results. The

11 functioning of the authorities is put into question as well as the

12 implementation of laws, municipal regulation, as well as conclusions and

13 orders of the Presidency of RS."

14 It goes on to say the lack of will or power -- well, what was it

15 that the security station lacked?

16 A. We lacked power, force. We didn't have enough people, and even

17 the ones we did have were not adequately trained. Just a moment ago I

18 was trying to say that the chief of station was a writer, an emotional

19 person who thought that things would stop when he had a conversation with

20 criminals. I would bring them in to the station. He would talk to them

21 and release them instead of allowing me to detain them and submit

22 criminal reports. That is why those criminals felt even stronger. After

23 that this Bilic, I don't know whether he was removed or he resigned

24 himself, but things were put in order at the station later and it

25 functioned pretty well throughout the war.

Page 36135

1 JUDGE KWON: But, Mr. Karadzic, how does it arise from the

2 cross-examination?

3 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] There was this question whether

4 there were no investigations against the army and they did not seem to

5 have enough manpower to investigate criminals. So this brings about the

6 issue of the ability of the police station to do something.

7 JUDGE KWON: I don't think the witness raised the issue of lack

8 of personnel with regard to the investigation of the military personnel.

9 Given the time, why don't you conclude? How many more minutes do

10 you need, Mr. Karadzic?

11 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Two, perhaps three.

12 JUDGE KWON: Please proceed.

13 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

14 Q. You were shown Mr. Tupajic's answer to me when he said that he

15 had no forces to protect the Muslims. Despite that, did you try to cover

16 up any suffering on the part of Muslims or did you also undertake

17 investigations when the victims were Muslims?

18 A. There was no covering up. Everything was known that would take

19 place during any given day because people talked, so there was no

20 covering up on either of the sides.

21 Q. Thank you.

22 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Can we briefly look at 65 ter

23 19810.

24 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

25 Q. Did you personally take part in investigations?

Page 36136

1 A. Me? Sometimes.

2 Q. Thank you. 65 ter -- yes. Are you familiar with this document?

3 There is a translation, because I have it in my hand.

4 A. Can you please zoom in?

5 Q. So the 20th of July, an on-site investigation, and this is a

6 record of it, it involves Judge Gavrilovic and Carkic and so on. The

7 injured party is Salih Dautovic and so on. Who is Salih? What was his

8 ethnicity? Where was he from, and what did you do as part of that

9 investigation? How many of them were there? How many of you?

10 JUDGE KWON: Before you answer, yes, Ms. Gustafson.

11 MS. GUSTAFSON: This incident is already discussed in the

12 witness's statement as well as the document related to this

13 investigation. I didn't touch it in my cross-examination, so it just

14 doesn't arise. It was already addressed in direct. If Mr. Karadzic

15 wanted to ask additional questions about it, he should have done that at

16 the outset. It don't arise from cross-examination.

17 MR. ROBINSON: Mr. President, because of the admission of

18 Mr. Tupajic's letter, this shows in fact how the local authorities are

19 continuing to try to protect the Muslims, and I think that that opened

20 the door to this to come in.

21 MS. GUSTAFSON: And just for your reference, it's at paragraph 21

22 where he discusses this incident and the investigation.

23 [Trial Chamber confers]

24 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] This is seven days --

25 JUDGE KWON: The Chamber agrees with Mr. Robinson's observation.

Page 36137

1 Please proceed.

2 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

3 Q. Thank you. Can you tell us who were the perpetrators and what

4 happened with this Mr. Dautovic?

5 A. Mr. Dautovic was a forest ranger in Tocionik. He worked there.

6 He was a fine man. His village a few days was -- before that been

7 deserted. The people left themselves, and I talked to him, asking him

8 why they left. He told me, "Dragan, I don't know." He told me that they

9 went to Olovo and that he refused so that I could come the next day -- he

10 would come the next day after he had said good-bye to the inhabitants of

11 Sokolovac. We sat down at Krunic's place and I told him if need be just

12 give me a ring at any time of day or night, there's no problem, if there

13 are any disturbances of law and order, if there's anyone touching you or

14 doing anything criminal. We said our good-byes and I left. I told him

15 if you're interested, give it a thought, because I could take you to

16 Olovo to take you to your people. On Monday morning people from Grbici,

17 some young guys awaited me and told me that Salih Dautovic and his family

18 and another two people were killed in their own home. We set up an

19 on-site investigation team including representatives of the

20 [indiscernible] state security, the crime police, an investigating judge.

21 We went to the location, saw what happened, submitted a criminal report,

22 and it was against an unknown perpetrator.

23 Q. Thank you. Who is under number 4?

24 A. Dragan Obradovic, station commander.

25 Q. Who is that?

Page 36138

1 A. I am.

2 Q. So the full name would be Dragomir?

3 A. Yes.

4 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Thank you. I seek to tender this

5 document.

6 JUDGE KWON: Yes, Ms. Gustafson.

7 MS. GUSTAFSON: No, just to say no objection.

8 JUDGE KWON: Yes. We'll receive it.

9 THE REGISTRAR: As Exhibit D3193, Your Honours.

10 MR. KARADZIC: [Interpretation]

11 Q. Just one more question. Please, when these were for an exchange

12 taken to Kula, did they have the status of prisoner there or did they

13 await an exchange?

14 A. They awaited an exchange. I don't know how many days later it

15 took place and they went to Sarajevo. Some people called me and thanked

16 me for it, for how they were transported and saying that no one

17 mistreated them and so on and so forth.

18 Q. Thank you, Mr. Obradovic. Thank you for being a good policeman

19 and thank you for having testified today.

20 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] You're welcome.

21 JUDGE KWON: Mr. Obradovic, that concludes your evidence.

22 On behalf of the Chamber, I'd like to thank you for coming to The

23 Hague to give it. Now you are free to go. The hearing is --

24 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Thank you, and I considered it to

25 be my duty to do so.

Page 36139

1 JUDGE KWON: Thank you. The hearing is adjourned.

2 [The witness withdrew]

3 --- Whereupon the hearing adjourned at 2.57 p.m.,

4 to be reconvened on Wednesday, the 27th day

5 of March, 2013, at 9.00 a.m.