AKI, 28 February 2012
A prosecution witness in the trial of wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia described in detail on Tuesday how he took part in the killing of over 1,000 Muslims in eastern town of Srebrenica in July 1995.
The witness, Drazen Erdemovic, a Croat who fought with Bosnian Serb forces during 1992-1995 war, said he and other seven Serb soldiers killed between 1,000 and 1,200 Muslims on a farm in the village of Pilica in mid-July 1995.
Erdemovic said his group was led to the execution site by a “tall and corpulent Serb lieutenant colonel”, whose name he wasn’t sure of, and told them all Srebrenica Muslim men who were taken prisoner and bused to Pilice should be killed.
He said the prisoners were in civilian clothes, some blindfolded and their arms tied. They were taken out in groups of ten and executed by Erdemovic and his men, the witness said.
Between 15 and 20 buses with prisoners had arrived to Pilice and execution lasted from about ten in the morning to 3 p.m., when another firing squad took over, Erdemovic told the court.
Erdemovic said he and other executioners were issued false documents after the execution to hide their identity. But he was arrested in Serbia in 1996, after he revealed the killing to an American journalist and was taken to the Hague tribunal.
He pleaded guilty and in a deal with the prosecution was sentenced to five years in jail, of which he served four years in Norway. Meanwhile, he has testified against six other defendants before the tribunal.
Karadzic has been indicted on eleven counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, allegedly committed by the forces under his command. The indictment centers on a massacre of over 7,000 Muslims in Srebrenica and 44-month siege and shelling of the capital Sarajevo.
Karadzic, who is defending himself, was arrested in Belgrade in 2008 and refuted the charges. Cross-examining Erdemovic on Tuesday, Karadzic contested his claims and said it was impossible to kill so many people in such a short time.
A prosecution witness in the trial of wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia described in detail on Tuesday how he took part in the killing of over 1,000 Muslims in eastern town of Srebrenica in July 1995.
The witness, Drazen Erdemovic, a Croat who fought with Bosnian Serb forces during 1992-1995 war, said he and other seven Serb soldiers killed between 1,000 and 1,200 Muslims on a farm in the village of Pilica in mid-July 1995.
Erdemovic said his group was led to the execution site by a “tall and corpulent Serb lieutenant colonel”, whose name he wasn’t sure of, and told them all Srebrenica Muslim men who were taken prisoner and bused to Pilice should be killed.
He said the prisoners were in civilian clothes, some blindfolded and their arms tied. They were taken out in groups of ten and executed by Erdemovic and his men, the witness said.
Between 15 and 20 buses with prisoners had arrived to Pilice and execution lasted from about ten in the morning to 3 p.m., when another firing squad took over, Erdemovic told the court.
Erdemovic said he and other executioners were issued false documents after the execution to hide their identity. But he was arrested in Serbia in 1996, after he revealed the killing to an American journalist and was taken to the Hague tribunal.
He pleaded guilty and in a deal with the prosecution was sentenced to five years in jail, of which he served four years in Norway. Meanwhile, he has testified against six other defendants before the tribunal.
Karadzic has been indicted on eleven counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, allegedly committed by the forces under his command. The indictment centers on a massacre of over 7,000 Muslims in Srebrenica and 44-month siege and shelling of the capital Sarajevo.
Karadzic, who is defending himself, was arrested in Belgrade in 2008 and refuted the charges. Cross-examining Erdemovic on Tuesday, Karadzic contested his claims and said it was impossible to kill so many people in such a short time.
Thousand muslims get killed he walks free, one American journalist is getting killed, he is caught.
Charged five years, how cheap is a human nowadays ?
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