Garaplija in The Hague to testify against war criminal Mladić

Former member of the State Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Edin Garaplija, will testify as a witness for the Hague Tribunal in the proceedings against war criminal Ratko Mladić.

Although some media in Bosnia and Herzegovina reported that Garaplija would testify as a defense witness for war criminal Mladić, Garaplija denied this in a statement to the Bosnian news agency Patria. He explained that he will testify in The Hague exclusively as a witness for the Court.

Ratko Mladić, a general of the Army of Republika Srpska, is being tried before the International Court in The Hague for responsibility for crimes and genocide committed by members of the Army of Republika Srpska against the Bosniak and Croat populations during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995.

- I will appear at the Court's request at a time determined by the Court, in the proceedings against Ratko Mladić. Therefore, I will appear in The Hague as a witness for the Court, not as a witness for the defense or the prosecution – Garaplija explained.

The International Court in The Hague issued a 'subpoena' for Garaplija. This means that his testimony in The Hague is mandatory, writes NAP.

Garaplija previously testified in the proceedings before the International Court against war criminal Radovan Karadžić, the first president of the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, writes Patria.