TRIAL Dreković was not at the Forward Command Post in Bjelimići

(Patria) - Ramiz Dreković is accused of having, as commander of the Fourth Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABiH), in the period from May 21 to June 7, 1995, ordered artillery units in the village of Bjelimići (Konjic municipality) to carry out indiscriminate attacks on Serb civilians in Kalinovik, in which a 15-year-old girl was killed and several civilians were wounded.

The defense of Ramiz Dreković, accused of crimes committed in the Kalinovik area, continued the cross-examination of the military expert witness, who confirmed that there are artillery firing ranges in the wider Kalinovik area.

During the presentation of his findings and opinion at the hearing held on December 21, the BiH Prosecutor's Office expert witness Mladen Marinković stated that the order for artillery action was not legal and that the shelling constituted a war crime against the civilian population, writes BIRN.

At the previous hearing, in response to the Defense's questions, he said that he used data from the internet for his findings and that there were no military targets in Kalinovik.

At today's hearing, Marinković confirmed that there was a garrison in Kalinovik and, in response to questions from the accused Ramiz Dreković, confirmed that there are artillery firing ranges in the wider Kalinovik area.

He emphasized that during the preparation of his findings and opinion, he did not see any document indicating that Dreković had ordered the shelling of civilians and civilian facilities. He also stated that he did not have an artillery action plan when compiling the findings.

The expert witness confirmed that he used the findings of a ballistics expert, which, according to the Defense, do not state that civilians were shelled.

"I did not notice that it stated civilians, but a populated area was shelled," said Marinković.

Ramiz Dreković is accused of having, as commander of the Fourth Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABiH), in the period from May 21 to June 7, 1995, ordered artillery units in the village of Bjelimići (Konjic municipality) to carry out indiscriminate attacks on Serb civilians in Kalinovik, in which a 15-year-old girl was killed and several civilians were wounded.

Expert witness Marinković stated that he did not find any evidence suggesting that Dreković was at the Forward Command Post (IKM) in Bjelimići (Konjic municipality) on May 22 and 26, 1995, nor on June 3 of the same year, considering that "it is not important".

When asked by defense attorney Mirsad Crnovršanin why he did not analyze June 5, 1995, as stated in the order for expert testimony, according to which he should provide an opinion on Dreković's responsibility for, among other things, that date, the expert witness said that "the commander of the Fourth Corps is responsible for that entire period".

After the Defense asked the expert witness if the fact that there was no action in Kalinovik on that day was the reason he did not analyze it, Marinković replied: "I did not, for June 5, but there was action on June 6."

According to the expert witness, he did not conclude that the First Corps had combat operations in the Kalinovik area.

Marinković also told the prosecution that despite the delegation of authority from the corps commander for the use of artillery to a subordinate, the corps commander still bears responsibility.

The Defense objected to the submission of these findings, stating that the expert witness did not act according to the orders, nor in accordance with the law.

The trial will continue on February 15.