Dreković: Measured distances of projectile impacts in Kalinovik

(Patria) - In the continuation of the trial of Ramiz Dreković, former commander of the Fourth Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABiH), an expert witness in the field of geodesy in his findings and opinion located and measured the distance of the impact of the first and second projectiles in relation to six facilities in the area of Kalinovik.

Expert witness in geodesy Zijad Džananović, at the proposal of the Defense, based on three photo-documentations of the crime scene inspection by two witnesses and documentation on the death of Stanislava Koprivica, as well as a digital aerial recording, prepared his findings and opinion.

As he stated, during the preparation, together with his assistant Ahmed Hadžić, a lawyer and police officers, he went to the crime scene, where he performed certain measurements.

“We located the facilities – the hotel ‘Lelija’ Kalinovik, the ‘Sava’ facility, the ‘Gornji logor’ barracks, the Public Security Station (SJB), the Heliodrom sports field, and the Gradina site. We measured the distance in relation to the impact site of the first and second projectiles. For this, we used the photo-documentation,” stated the expert witness.

He explained that he performed the same measurements, i.e., the distance of the “Gornji logor” barracks in relation to other facilities. As he said, he presented the location of Kalinovik on a diameter scale, and took the impact site of the second projectile as the starting point for measurement.

“The dimensions I provided are absolutely precise,” said the expert witness, adding that, by order, he also calculated the elevation difference of the impact of both projectiles in relation to other facilities, and that 104 points were recorded, as well as geodetic elevations and coordinates.

Expert witness Džananović said that in addition to the impact sites of both projectiles in relation to the facilities, he provided horizontal and vertical measurements, the surface area of shrapnel remnants on the buildings, and the linear distance.

Džananović presented his findings and opinion at the trial of Ramiz Dreković, former commander of the Fourth Corps of the ABiH, whom the indictment charges with ordering artillery units in the village of Bjelimići (Konjic municipality) to carry out indiscriminate attacks on Serbian civilians in Kalinovik between May 21 and June 7, 1995, in which a 15-year-old girl was killed and several civilians wounded.

Answering cross-examination questions from the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the expert witness said that the digital aerial recording shows the main street, where the second projectile fell, while the first projectile fell on a nearby street.

He explained that he measured the “Gornji logor” barracks from the fence, i.e., the boundary, and that the order did not specify measuring from the central building. As he said, he knows where the central building is, but cannot claim it is one kilometer from the fence because he did not perform that measurement.

“For me, the ‘Gornji logor’ barracks is everything behind the fence,” said the expert witness.

Lawyer Kadrija Kolić said that the expert witness was not tasked with locating the main building of the barracks and that the Prosecutor's Office's thesis that he had that task is incorrect.

Prosecutor Marijana Čobović objected to the findings and opinion, stating that it is incomplete and inaccurate.

Given that expert witness Hadžić assisted in preparing the findings, the prosecutor requested that he also be heard. Hadžić stated that he had the role of assistant during the measurements because the instruments require two operators, which is why he also signed the findings.

Čobović objected to this, because, as she said, Hadžić was sitting in the courtroom the entire time.

The next hearing is scheduled for January 19, 2022.