Belgrade: Trial for Crimes in the Village of Kravica, Victims Bitter Over Delays in Proceedings

BELGRADE, (Patria) - Another main hearing was held today at the Special Department of the Higher Court in Belgrade in the trial for war crimes in the area of the village of Kravica, in the case of Nedeljko Milidragović and others. 

Witness for the defence today was Boško Budimir, who said he had fled the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but he, his brother and father were forcibly taken to the battlefield, specifically to the Training Centre on Jahorina.

According to his testimony, Budimir was responsible for maintaining machinery and combat vehicles, while simultaneously undergoing infantry training. 

"One day, buses arrived. Only on the way did we find out we were going towards Srebrenica, and they told us we needed to repair some transporters and secure UNPROFOR," said Budimir. 

He says that the accused Milidragović ordered him to drive the transporter to Bjelovac, from where they took it to Zvornik. In Zvornik, he slept at the home of the accused Milidragović. Another UNPROFOR transporter, after they repaired it, they drove to Janja. 

Answering the judge's questions, the witness stated that he received orders from Nedeljko Milidragović, and that part of his company went to Srebrenica. The witness also complained that he was occasionally mistreated during training. 

He also said that on 14 July he saw Milidragović in Bjelovac, but he is not sure if he was there during the night. The witness stated under oath that he did not participate in combat operations, but that he heard stories about killed Muslims. 

What marked Budimir's testimony is the fact that he often referred to the passage of time, due to which, as he said, he could not remember some names and details. 

In the continuation of the hearing, a list of exhumations of victims' bodies for which Milidragović and others are charged was reviewed. A list of 1,313 victims was presented. According to the documents, the first exhumation was carried out on 9 July 2001. 

Interestingly, during the presentation of the documents, submitted by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the accused Milidragović complained that he "cannot constantly look at the BiH flag, because he does not believe in their evidence." 

"I have nothing against BiH, but I have something against their bias," stated the accused Milidragović. 

Afterwards, the geographical areas where mass graves are located were shown, including secondary and tertiary graves. The defence objected that some records from the Tuzla Cantonal Prosecutor's Office lacked signatures and seals.

The next hearings are scheduled for 16 May at 2:30 PM, and 20 May at 9:30 AM.

The President of the Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide, Murat Tahirović, told Patria after the hearing that the proceedings are being deliberately delayed in order to lose public interest, as well as that of the victims. 

"This is a continuation of what we have had since the indictment was filed. It is not just the defence that is problematic, but also the Prosecutor's Office, which is conducting the proceedings in the wrong direction," said Tahirović. 

He adds that witnesses also use the opportunity not to show up several times, and when they do show up, they make up their own story. 

Each hearing, besides the victims, is also attended by supporters of radical Vojislav Šešelj, in support of war crimes. 

"We are in a way used to them, because we know what they are doing there," said Tahirović. 

In this case, the accused are: Milidragović Nedeljko, as commander of the 2nd Platoon of the 1st Company of the Jahorina Training Centre of the Special Police Brigade of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska; Batinica Milivoje, Dačević Aleksandar, Miletić Boro, Petrović Jovan and Parović Dragomir as members of that platoon; and Golijanin Aleksa and Vasić Vidoslav as members of the 1st Platoon of the 1st Company of the Jahorina Centre.

They are accused that, violating the rules of international law, on 14 July 1995, inside, in front of, and in the immediate vicinity of the hangar of the agricultural cooperative in the village of Kravica (hereinafter: Kravica Hangar), Bratunac municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina, against the civilian population and persons not directly taking part in hostilities, Bosnian Muslim men, the accused Milidragović ordered members of the 2nd Platoon, including the accused Batinica Milivoje, Dačević Aleksandar, Miletić Boro, Petrović Jovan and Parović Dragomir, as well as certain members of the 1st Platoon of the 1st Company of the Jahorina Centre, including the accused Golijanin Aleksa and Vasić Vidoslav, to commit and committed murders of civilians, and the accused Golijanin, Batinica, Dačević, Miletić, Parović, Petrović and Vasić committed murders of civilians, namely as mass liquidations of several hundred civilians - Bosnian Muslim men.