Orić's Defence: Investigation lasted a month, unusual for forest thefts but not for war crimes

By reading the indictment and presenting opening statements, the trial of Naser Orić and Sabahudin Muhić for a crime committed against prisoners of war in the Bratunac and Srebrenica area has begun.

Orić and Muhić are charged with, as members of the Territorial Defence (TO) of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH), killing and participating in the killing of three Serbian prisoners. According to the indictment, Orić was the commander of the TO ARBiH staff in Srebrenica, and Muhić was a member of this unit.

Prosecutor Miroslav Janjić said that he would prove the guilt of Orić and Muhić by examining 31 witnesses and submitting 63 pieces of material evidence.

- The victims had the status of prisoners of war, they surrendered their weapons and were under the authority of members of the TO Srebrenica. Orić and Muhić were aware that they were acting contrary to the Geneva Conventions, because the prisoners were subordinate to them, without freedom of movement - Janjić said.

According to the first count of the indictment, on July 12, 1992, Orić killed a prisoner in the village of Zalazje by kicking him and stabbing him in the neck area.

The defence of the accused Orić said that the investigation in this case lasted a month, which is unusual for forest thefts but not for a war crime.

- In this order to conduct an investigation, statements of five witnesses are cited, none of whom mention Orić, nor connect him with the acts he is charged with. How did the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina issue such an order to conduct an investigation when it had no evidence - asked Lejla Čović, the defence attorney for the accused Orić.

According to her, nine days after the order to conduct an investigation was issued, a statement from protected witness O-1 appeared.

Is the Prosecutor's Office clairvoyant so it predicted what would happen, said Čović, emphasizing that witness O-1 changed his statements, and that the Defence will prove he is not credible.

The continuation of the trial is scheduled for February 16, BIRN reported, Patria reports.