Mladić Trial: Serb Sniper Fired at Sarajevans from Home for the Blind in Nedžarići

In the continuation of the trial of Ratko Mladić before the Hague Tribunal, the Prosecutor's representative proved that snipers of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) killed and wounded civilians in Sarajevo, which was refuted by the Defense's expert Mile Poparić.

Cross-examining expert Poparić, prosecutor Caroline Edgerton pointed out errors, inaccuracies, and falsehoods in his report, suggesting that based on this, he reached the wrong conclusion that the citizens of Sarajevo were not intentionally targeted from VRS positions.

The prosecutor refuted Poparić's claim that on March 6, 1995, in the Sedrenik settlement, fourteen-year-old Tarik Žunić was most likely wounded by a stray bullet in the exchange of fire between the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ABiH) and the VRS.

Quoting a UNPROFOR report that it returned fire on Serb snipers who were shooting at civilians, prosecutor Edgerton suggested that this was the "exchange of fire" the witness mentioned.

"I believe there was an exchange of fire between the warring parties... It was a very complex situation... What happened when Tarik Žunić arrived, I don't know," replied the Defense's ballistics expert.

The Prosecutor's representative also claimed that Poparić intentionally moved the location where Žunić was hit in his report, so that it would not be visible from VRS positions. The witness retorted that eyewitnesses had shown him the scene of the event, which was different from the one indicated by the victim.

Mladić, then commander of the VRS, is accused of terrorizing the population of Sarajevo. The indictment lists 17 sniper attacks in which civilians in Sarajevo were killed and wounded.

The prosecutor Edgerton dedicated a large part of today's examination to proving that there was a VRS sniper position in the Home for the Blind in the Sarajevo settlement of Nedžarići, from which civilians were shot on multiple occasions.

Expert Poparić maintained his statement that he "never received such information." He accepted that there were Serb forces in that home, but not their "organized firing position."

The prosecutor presented him with a UNPROFOR document from July 1995, according to which the commander of the Ilidža Brigade of the VRS "admitted" that sniper fire was opened from the Home for the Blind and promised that it would not happen again.

"It is true that this commander admits that someone opened fire from the Home for the Blind, but that does not mean it was an organized firing position. Perhaps someone fired sporadically – one case of firing was registered," replied Mladić's ballistics expert.

The prosecutor will continue cross-examining Poparić tomorrow.

The indictment also charges Mladić with genocide in Srebrenica, persecution of Muslims and Croats throughout BiH, which reached the scale of genocide in six municipalities, and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.