Page 731
1 Tuesday, 9 December 2003
2 [Open session]
3 --- Upon commencing at 2.15 p.m.
4 [The accused entered court]
5 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Mr. Registrar, can you call the
6 case, please.
7 THE REGISTRAR: Yes. The case number is IT-01-47-T, the
8 Prosecutor versus Enver Hadzihasanovic and Amir Kubura.
9 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Thank you very much. I shall
10 now ask for the appearances, please.
11 The Prosecution, you have the floor.
12 MR. WITHOPF: Good afternoon, Your Honours. Good afternoon,
13 Counsel. For the Prosecution, David Re, Ekkehard Withopf, and Kimberly
14 Fleming, as the case manager.
15 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] And the Defence, please.
16 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Good morning, Mr. President.
17 Good afternoon. I'm Edina Residovic, Defence counsel for
18 General Hadzihasanovic, and members of the team are Mr. Stephane Bourgon
19 and Mirna Milanovic, a member of the Defence team. Thank you.
20 MR. IBRISIMOVIC: [Interpretation] Good afternoon, Your Honours.
21 For the Defence of Mr. Kubura, Fahrudin Ibrisimovic, Mr. Rodney Dixon,
22 and our assistant Mr. Mulalic. Thank you.
23 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Thank you.
24 The Trial Chamber would like to welcome the Prosecution, the
25 Defence, and the accused.
Page 732
1 If I understood you correctly, I think the Defence team would
2 like to take the floor before we bring the witness in. I shall therefore
3 give the floor to the Defence.
4 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Thank you, Mr. President.
5 The Defence wanted to raise three issues with you this afternoon.
6 The first has to do with the request made by the Prosecution filed
7 yesterday with regard to protective measures. We should like to inform
8 the Trial Chamber that the motion was filed by the Prosecutor yesterday
9 at 12.15 and the Defence was not in a position, therefore, to receive the
10 motion before it was discussed during the court session. We, however,
11 know that probably in the course of this trial we will have several
12 instances where the parties will not be able to send in their documents
13 to the opposite side on time, but we should like to make the Trial
14 Chamber aware of this and to ask both parties whenever possible - and I
15 think that this is possible in the majority of cases - to disclose the
16 request to the Defence, or if we are tabling the motion that we send our
17 motions in to the Prosecution, giving them and us enough time to be able
18 to have the opposite party prepare so as to be able to present the
19 relevant argumentation before the Trial Chamber, with respect to the
20 motion in question.
21 At the beginning of this trial, Mr. President - and that is why
22 we should like to raise certain procedural issues of this nature, which
23 we consider are of interest to the parties, precisely because we are
24 starting the trial; we're at the beginning of the trial, the initial
25 stages - the second question, which the Defence wish to raise, is quite
Page 733
1 simply a piece of information which we'd like to give to the Trial
2 Chamber. And we undertook this as an obligation on our part on Friday,
3 and we tabled a request to the Trial Chamber today with our proposals to
4 facilitate the Trial Chamber in resolving the question of the
5 impossibility the Defence has had in its access to documents and archives
6 of the European Monitors, observers.
7 As the Defence considers for its part that it should contribute
8 to a speedy and efficacious trial, although the Defence is fully aware
9 that this is exclusively the right of the Trial Chamber, in its motion
10 and request it also put forward a proposal according to which, according
11 to Rule 26 bis it reviewed whether a response to this motion requires 14
12 days or whether the Trial Chamber will modify that deadline.
13 Mr. President, yesterday we received a new list from the
14 Prosecution for the new exhibits and witnesses. We now ask permission
15 for those same reasons to speed up a ruling on this issue, for the Trial
16 Chamber to allow us today to state our views on that list; or, if the
17 Trial Chamber considers it to be more appropriate, to ask us to do so in
18 written form perhaps.
19 The list -- the newly compiled list from the Prosecutor is one we
20 received yesterday. Having considered it, we seem to feel that the list
21 contains certain exhibits which have not as yet been disclosed to the
22 Defence teams, and other exhibits which probably have been disclosed but
23 were not on the previous lists supplied to us by the Prosecution.
24 Second, we consider it to be very important that the Prosecutor, after
25 almost two and a half years since the accused first appeared before this
Page 734
1 Tribunal and after the pre-trial motion, should ensure a final and
2 complete list of exhibits, a comprehensive list, which they wish to use
3 in the course of this trial because we consider this to be indispensable
4 for the trial to evolve in just fashion. It is very important for the
5 Defence to have all the exhibits and evidence disclosed to it so that it
6 could take the necessary steps needed for it to investigate the
7 authenticity of the documents or to prepare itself for making proposals
8 or objections to these exhibits being tendered into evidence.
9 Now, may I turn to the list of witnesses disclosed to us by the
10 Prosecution. The Defence would like to point out that some of the
11 witnesses that have been added to this list, the additional witnesses,
12 will be called to testify, as far as we can see, from the witness
13 statements about the same facts and circumstantial evidence that some
14 other witnesses will be testifying to, witnesses who are already on the
15 Prosecutor's list. These additional witnesses will be testifying to the
16 same facts. Of course, it is up to the Prosecution to decide how many
17 and which witnesses to call and it is also up to the Trial Chamber to
18 agree in having these witnesses called or to perhaps decide which should
19 be called. We consider that, in view of our position, it would be a good
20 idea if we pointed out that some of these witnesses were testifying to
21 the same facts, just like the testimony of the witnesses on the list that
22 already existed.
23 Now, we don't object to this and this time we have ten or eleven
24 new witnesses. We don't mind. We consider that the Prosecution has
25 pursuant to Rule 65 ter and the Status Conference, he let us know and he
Page 735
1 said he would have an additional six to eight witnesses on that occasion.
2 However, we should like to point out that after the presentation of
3 evidence has got underway we can see now that the presentation of
4 evidence and the exhibits are not following the planned time limit and
5 schedule, so we would like to draw your attention to that. We should
6 like to draw attention of the Trial Chamber to that fact.
7 And the final proposal by the Defence, with respect to the motion
8 filed by the Prosecutor, is that we should like to prevail upon the Trial
9 Chamber to ask the Prosecution to send us a complete, comprehensive, and
10 final list and that any additional requirements and requests should be
11 put forward only under extraordinary circumstances, which should be
12 expounded upon by the Prosecution.
13 So that, briefly, Mr. President, are the proposals and -- that we
14 have to make, and we should like to ask the Trial Chamber to make a
15 ruling on them. Thank you.
16 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Would the Defence counsel of
17 Mr. Kubura like to say something?
18 MR. IBRISIMOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honours, this is a joint
19 proposal.
20 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Thank you.
21 Before giving the floor to the Prosecution at this stage of the
22 proceeding, we will address the three items but in the reverse order.
23 The last point related to the list of witnesses as well as the
24 list of exhibits, the new list of exhibits. The Defence counsel has just
25 told us as regards the list of exhibits, there were some exhibits missing
Page 736
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Page 737
1 that had been mentioned on this new list, and it seems like the Defence
2 team does not have these exhibits. So I would like the Prosecution to
3 contact the Defence team with a view to disclosing those missing exhibits
4 as quickly as possible. I assume this will not raise any technical
5 problem.
6 As far as a list of witnesses and exhibits are concerned, if the
7 Defence team accepts the fact or does not, they should send something in
8 writing, because this witness list was provided in writing and the
9 Defence team should also provide in writing something to the fact that
10 some of the witnesses on the previous list and the new list are
11 identical; therefore, there's no point in calling witnesses to say the
12 same thing, because in certain cases these are the same witnesses. As
13 far as the exhibits are concerned, if the Defence has any objections or
14 any issue to raise, then the Defence team should inform us in writing.
15 We will be calling these witnesses at the beginning of next year. If you
16 set a time limit which, let's assume, could be the 12th of January, that
17 would give you enough time to look into this at leisure and you could
18 then send us something in writing by the 12th of January. As you know,
19 the 12th of January marks the end of the winter recess.
20 In addition, you have also noted, I'm sure, that the Trial
21 Chamber was seized by the Prosecution and the report of the
22 General Reinhardt was filed. You therefore also have the possibility to
23 challenge the content of this report in due time, and you have up until
24 the 12th of January to do so.
25 As far as the second point is concerned - namely, the request
Page 738
1 you've filed pertaining to those exhibits relating to the European Union
2 - you were worried ahead of time by the fact that the Prosecution might
3 state its position two weeks beforehand. From what I understand with my
4 exchange with the Prosecution, I think they do not oppose any objection
5 on principle to your requests. So could the Prosecution let us know as
6 quickly as possible that this is not a problem so that we can draft this
7 decision and render it. So I think we should find a solution to this
8 point fairly quickly.
9 I shall now address the first point, which related to the fact
10 that you were surprised by the fact that you were not informed about
11 those protective measures to be granted to the witness we will be hearing
12 today. Admittedly, on reading Article 69 -- Rule 69 of the Rules of
13 Procedure and Evidence, it is mentioned that protective measures, when
14 they are requested by the Prosecution, are measures which should be
15 requested by the Prosecution. It is not stipulated that the Prosecution
16 has to inform the Defence team about this.
17 But if we turn to Article 75 and we combine the two articles, 75
18 and the previous, 69, we understand that the Trial Chamber on request of
19 one of the two parties order the appropriate measures if, and in the
20 event that these measures do not -- or that these measures are consistent
21 with the rights of the accused. We will therefore assume that the
22 Prosecution must avail itself of its position. So it's a combination of
23 the two Rules which apply here, and the Defence team and the Prosecution
24 need to discuss this. Maybe the Defence team, one day you will ask to
25 have protective measures; in that case, the Prosecution needs to be able
Page 739
1 to state its position also. So it would be desirable if in the future
2 the Prosecution, every time it wishes to request protective measures,
3 that they let the Defence team know in due time so that in the event that
4 the fundamental rights of the accused may be effected, that the Defence
5 team can stipulate this in writing, because the request of the
6 Prosecution is made in writing; the Defence has to, therefore, be made in
7 writing also.
8 If there are exceptional circumstances - which is the case,
9 because we have a very -- we are very limited by time - you could then
10 discuss this verbally and we shall render our decision. But it is, of
11 course, desirable that you get the information well ahead of time. And I
12 think this has to be discussed by both parties. And this is against the
13 backdrop of this exchange that this trial will go ahead in the best
14 conditions possible.
15 I hope this will be the case in the future also, and I understand
16 that both parties should by so doing reveal the truth as best as
17 possible. As regards this particular point, does the Prosecution wish to
18 take the floor? We will then pursue the hearing.
19 MR. RE: Very, very briefly. Thank you, Your Honours. Of
20 course, we note everything that Your Honour has just said. The
21 Prosecution will, of course, endeavour to avoid repetition in any
22 evidence that it calls.
23 The Prosecution informed the Trial Chamber and Defence, in
24 relation to those additional seven witness we propose tendering, we don't
25 propose tendering them immediately in January, by any stretch of the
Page 740
1 imagination. That would certainly be called midway through the trial,
2 maybe February, March. So the Defence should be assured that they will
3 have sufficient time to prepare in respect of that.
4 The -- just one other matter. That's in relation to the
5 confidential motion we filed on Friday, the 8th of December -- sorry,
6 Monday, Monday, the 8th -- the Prosecution's motion to amend its list of
7 witnesses and exhibits. As we've noted, and the only reason we filed it
8 confidentially was because there was some information in the body of the
9 motion relating to some information about the witnesses. We appended
10 General Reinhardt's report to that motion filed confidentially. We
11 actually should have written "partially confidential" on the -- on the
12 cover. I would ask Your Honours to lift the confidentiality in relation
13 to General Reinhardt's report so that's publicly available. There's no
14 reason why it should be filed confidentially.
15 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] I would like to ask
16 Mr. Registrar, who's reading the transcript, to bring in the witness,
17 please.
18 THE INTERPRETER: Interpreter's correction: It's the usher.
19 [The witness entered court]
20 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Witness, can you hear what I am
21 saying? Can you hear the translation? Can you hear me?
22 Fine. Please sit down.
23 Before I give the floor to the Prosecution that will be
24 questioning the witness, I would like to ask the registrar whether those
25 protective measures, i.e. distortion of the face and voice, are still
Page 741
1 valid, please.
2 THE REGISTRAR: Yes, Your Honour, the protective measures are in
3 place.
4 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Thank you very much.
5 Before hearing the witness, in order to gain time, pursuant to
6 Article 90(F)(i) feels that it is our duty to remind the witness and the
7 parties of a number of Rules contained in the Rules of Procedure and
8 Evidence. I should like to turn now to the witness and tell him the
9 following: You are a Prosecution witness. Your testimony is made under
10 oath. You have the duty, therefore, to tell the truth. If the Trial
11 Chamber feels that you have deliberately and voluntarily made a false
12 testimony, the Trial Chamber is entitled to launch a proceeding against
13 you. In the event that you would be proven guilty of a false testimony,
14 you would be liable for a fine of 100.000 Euros and a seven-year prison
15 term. I would also let you know that if you refuse to answer any one or
16 other question, despite the question put to you by the Chamber, you could
17 be liable for a contempt proceeding; in the event, the sentencing range
18 is exactly the same as for a false testimony.
19 I should like to remind you that before this Tribunal you are a
20 simple witness. You are not accused. You are entitled to refuse to say
21 anything which might go against your interests. And in that case, the
22 Trial Chamber can ask you to nevertheless answer this question, even
23 though you may feel it may incriminate you. In that case, the testimony
24 you would be making cannot be used as a piece of evidence against you
25 before this Tribunal, either in -- before this Tribunal, any other
Page 742
1 national jurisdiction, or in Bosnia. I am just saying this so that you
2 can testify freely before the Judges of this Tribunal and, given the fact
3 that protective measures have been granted, nobody knows who you are,
4 nobody outside this courtroom can actually see your face, and nobody can
5 hear your voice. Nobody can recognise your voice. This is what I wanted
6 to tell the witness.
7 As far as the parties are concerned, the Prosecution and the
8 Defence, the Trial Chamber would like to remind both parties that they
9 are in control of the examination-in-chief and cross-examination of the
10 witness so as to render the examination and the presentation of exhibits
11 in an efficient manner in order to reveal the truth. We are now talking
12 about Rule 99.
13 In addition, the Trial Chamber is in charge of the examinations
14 before this Court, with a view to avoiding any form of harassment or
15 intimidation whatsoever, pursuant to Article 75(D).
16 The Trial Chamber felt it was important to remind the parties of
17 the conditions in which this trial shall unfold. I hope this will be the
18 case in the future.
19 The witness is now informed about the fact that he can freely
20 testify. I shall therefore give the floor to the Prosecution. I think
21 the Prosecution still needs to ask the witness a number of questions.
22 Let me remind you that it is now twenty to 3.00. We shall have a
23 break in an hour's time, around quarter to 4.00. We shall have a
24 20/25-minute break at quarter to 4.00 and resume after the break. Given
25 the time needed by the Prosecution and the time needed by the Defence for
Page 743
1 its cross-examination, I believe this witness will be with us until 7.00
2 p.m., unless we finish earlier, but this witness will certainly be with
3 us all afternoon and the other witness on the list will probably be
4 called tomorrow. This will depend, of course, how things unfold.
5 In order not to lose any more time, I shall now give the floor to
6 the Prosecution.
7 WITNESS: WITNESS BA [Resumed]
8 [Witness answered through interpreter]
9 Examined by Mr. Re: [Continued]
10 Q. Good afternoon, Witness BA [Resumed]. When we broke yesterday
11 you had a copy of the exhibit marked for identification, Exhibit P12.
12 MR. RE: Could that please be returned to the ELMO for the
13 witness.
14 Q. Yesterday you marked the line of your advancement from the
15 confluence of the Bosna and Lasva Rivers to Dusina, to the Muslim part of
16 town, where you stayed overnight. Yesterday I was asking you about
17 soldiers from your own company and others. I want to ask you whether you
18 know of a group called the Blue Falcons.
19 A. The Blue Falcons?
20 Q. Yes, that's what I said, the Blue Falcons, as in birds like
21 hawks, or eagles.
22 Witness BA, can you hear me?
23 A. Yes.
24 Q. All right. Did you hear my question? Did you know of a group
25 called the Blue Falcons, falcons like birds like hawks or eagles, in
Page 744
1 1993?
2 A. Yes.
3 Q. What were they?
4 A. They were a sabotage reconnaissance unit.
5 Q. Were they part of the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade?
6 A. Yes, they were.
7 Q. And were they present in Dusina on either the 25th or 26th of
8 January, 1993?
9 A. Yes, they were.
10 Q. Where did you first see them in Dusina on the 25th or 26th of
11 January, 1993?
12 A. I don't remember exactly.
13 Q. A moment ago you told me that they were a sabotage reconnaissance
14 unit. Where were the members of the Blue Falcons from? What I mean is
15 -- by that I mean from where did the Blue Falcons recruit their members?
16 A. I don't understand your question.
17 Q. You are aware that throughout the armies in the former Yugoslavia
18 -- sorry, in Bosnia that various brigades and units recruited members
19 from different specific areas. I'm asking you where the Blue -- which
20 area the Blue Falcons recruited its members from; village, town,
21 municipality, or wherever.
22 A. I can't answer that question. I don't know.
23 Q. In January 1993, when you were in Dusina, who was commanding the
24 Blue Falcons?
25 A. Serif Patkovic.
Page 745
1 Q. And what was Serif Patkovic's position in the 7th Muslim Mountain
2 Brigade when you were in Dusina in January 1993?
3 A. I don't know exactly.
4 Q. Can I just get you to clarify the answer to the question, which
5 was "I don't know exactly." You used the word "exactly." What was your
6 knowledge of the position of Serif Patkovic within the 7th Muslim
7 Mountain Brigade?
8 A. The battalion was not complete, a full complement of it. There
9 were one or two companies. It wasn't a complete battalion. So I don't
10 know what position he occupied.
11 Q. A moment ago you said you couldn't remember exactly where you
12 first saw the Blue Falcons in Dusina. Where did you see them in Dusina,
13 if you can't remember exactly where you first saw them?
14 A. I don't want to give you incorrect information. If I say
15 something, I would like to say exactly what I know, what I saw, and
16 heard. Now, if that's not the case, then I would rather not answer the
17 question in an inexact way.
18 Q. You said you couldn't remember exactly where you first saw them.
19 I've moved on from there. I'm now asking you where you saw them in
20 Dusina, as opposed to when you first saw them. So can you just direct
21 your mind to seeing them in Dusina, as you said you did, and where it was
22 that you saw them.
23 A. A day before the conflict broke out, I think.
24 Q. And where was that that you saw them?
25 A. I saw them at the confluence in Lasva and Dusina.
Page 746
1 Q. And when you were in Dusina on the next day - that's the 26th of
2 January - were the Blue Falcons there as well?
3 A. Part of them.
4 Q. Which part of them?
5 A. They were divided in two groups.
6 Q. All right. We'll take them -- we'll take them one at a time.
7 Where was the group -- where did the group of the Blue Falcons that
8 wasn't in Dusina, where did they go?
9 A. As far as I remember, two captured members of those same Blue
10 Falcons were supposed to be liberated.
11 Q. Can you expand on that? What do you mean? Where were they?
12 A. In the Lasva settlement controlled by the Croatian Defence
13 Council and those two members just happened to be in the area before the
14 conflict actually broke out, and so those two soldiers were captured by
15 the Croatian Defence Council.
16 Q. Are you saying that one part of the -- one section of the Blue
17 Falcons went there to liberate them and another section went somewhere
18 else?
19 A. That wasn't the plan, to liberate them, nor was it an attack
20 plan.
21 Q. Two of the Blue Falcons required liberating from the HVO. You're
22 saying some of the Blue Falcons went to liberate them. Did your group --
23 did you or members of your group go with them to liberate the captured
24 Blue Falcon fighters?
25 A. Nobody went to free them. Quite simply they were deployed within
Page 747
1 the Muslim part of Lasva and at the confluence.
2 Q. All right. I'll take you back to being in Dusina and the -- on
3 the 26th of January and the Blue Falcons being divided into two groups.
4 I want you to tell the Trial Chamber what the two groups were and how
5 they were -- how they were divided, that is, where each of the two groups
6 went.
7 A. 4/8:47 The first night nobody was sent anywhere. All the members
8 of the Muslim unit were within the village. The only task was that if a
9 conflict should break out -- because the HDZ had already captured two
10 members of the 7th Muslim -- if a conflict were to break out, they were
11 to protect the Muslim population in the area.
12 Q. What I'm trying to ask you about, Witness BA, is what you said a
13 few moments ago, about the Blue Falcons being divided into two groups on
14 the 26th of January. So can you please concentrate on that part and tell
15 the Trial Chamber on the 26th of January how were they divided and where
16 did the two groups go.
17 A. I don't know exactly.
18 Q. How do you know they were divided into two groups? You said a
19 moment ago that you saw Blue Falcons there on the 26th of January.
20 A. Because at Dusina I just saw some six or seven members of the
21 Blue Falcons, which means they weren't all there.
22 THE INTERPRETER: Could the witness kindly be asked to speak up.
23 Thank you.
24 MR. RE:
25 Q. Witness BA, would you be able to speak a little bit more loudly
Page 748
1 in your answers so the interpreters can hear you a bit more clearly.
2 Would you be able to do that? Thank you.
3 Before we broke last night, we got to what happened in Dusina on
4 the morning of the 26th of January, 1993. Now, you've mentioned some
5 Blue Falcons there and you've mentioned your own group being there.
6 Where did your group go on the morning of the 26th of January, 1993?
7 When I say "your group," I mean your company, that is, the Musical
8 Company.
9 A. According to what the local population said, we received
10 information that the headquarters of the HDZ was at Brdo, and that's the
11 direction we took.
12 Q. Is that where you've marked on the map? Would you please just
13 look to the map to your right on the overhead projector there.
14 A. No.
15 Q. All right. Can you please mark with the same texter and please
16 draw a line with the same arrow to the next place you went in Dusina.
17 A. [Marks]
18 Q. At about what time did you get to Dusina on the morning of the
19 26th of January -- sorry, Brdo, on the morning of the 26th of January,
20 1993?
21 A. It was early in the morning.
22 Q. How early in the morning? Can you remember?
23 A. I don't remember exactly.
24 Q. Was it light when you got there? Do you remember that?
25 A. It was already daylight.
Page 749
1 [Prosecution counsel confer]
2 MR. RE:
3 Q. Why did members of your Musical Company go to Brdo in the
4 early -- after daylight on the 26th of January?
5 A. The intention was to negotiate, to have them release the two
6 captives.
7 Q. That is, negotiate with the HVO?
8 A. Yes.
9 Q. Was that to negotiate with the HVO commander?
10 A. Yes.
11 Q. Where did the negotiations occur?
12 A. Near the house, where Zvonko Rajic was put up.
13 Q. And who was Zvonko Rajic?
14 A. The commander of the HVO that was there.
15 Q. Who negotiated on behalf of the ABiH soldiers who negotiated with
16 Zvonko Rajic?
17 A. The commander of the company.
18 Q. And who was that?
19 A. Elvedin Camdzic.
20 Q. What happened when Elvedin Camdzic went to negotiate with Zvonko
21 Rajic?
22 A. They killed him.
23 Q. Who killed who?
24 A. The members of the HVO, the commander of our company.
25 Q. All right. Could you describe what happened so that the rest of
Page 750
1 us can imagine or have a picture of where you were and what you saw and
2 how the person was killed.
3 A. Part of the Musical Company went to negotiate with the HVO; that
4 means that the whole company didn't go, just part of it. Part of the
5 company remained behind in the Muslim section of Dusina. Quite simply,
6 they stayed behind, because they didn't want to shoot.
7 When the negotiations started -- or rather, when members of the
8 HVO were called to negotiate with our company commander, he went behind
9 the house. He didn't intend to shoot. His rifle was lowered, beside his
10 leg. But the members of the HVO started shooting nonetheless, and one
11 bullet hit him.
12 Q. What was the reaction of your side -- what did your side do in
13 response to your commander being shot?
14 A. Apart from the commander, we had two other wounded men, and then
15 we opened fire in order to be able to pull out the two wounded men.
16 Q. Where were the civilians of the village of Dusina and Brdo when
17 this exchange of fire was going on between the HVO and the 3rd Corps
18 soldiers?
19 A. In the two houses where, strictly speaking, there were no
20 civilians.
21 Q. Where was Zvonko Rajic at the time of this exchange of fire when
22 your commander was killed?
23 A. In the house from which the firing came.
24 Q. Did members of your company make contact with Zvonko Rajic in
25 that house?
Page 751
1 A. Yes, they did.
2 Q. All right. Can you describe to the Court how they did, how they
3 managed to contact him, and what, if anything, was said to him, and what
4 his response was.
5 A. I don't remember exactly how it happened. I don't remember which
6 words were used.
7 Q. I'm not asking you to use the exact words, obviously, so long
8 after the event, but doing your best of what you remember was the general
9 effect of what was said, please.
10 A. I don't want to make a mistake in uttering any words myself.
11 Q. Do you have any impression now of the content of any
12 communication, as opposed to the words used; that is, what they were
13 talking about?
14 A. Our company commander came out from behind a house. He went out
15 into an open space, and he called out to Zvonko Rajic. And when he was
16 called out to negotiate, the answer he got was a burst of gunfire as a
17 response.
18 Q. Following the burst of gunfire, what happened then? What was the
19 next thing that happened after you tried to negotiate with Rajic and
20 there was a burst of gunfire from their side?
21 A. Then there was an exchange of gunfire.
22 Q. How many HVO members were firing at your company?
23 A. Five or six of us.
24 Q. I'm sorry, your answer said "five of six of us." I was asking
25 you about how many HVO members were firing at your company.
Page 752
1 A. Five or six.
2 Q. Were they firing from the house where Zvonko Rajic was?
3 A. From the house they were in and from a position a little above
4 the house.
5 Q. Following this exchange of gunfire, did negotiations continue at
6 any point between the HVO side and your company?
7 A. After about an hour, an hour or two hours. I don't know exactly.
8 Q. Was Rajic still in his house when the negotiations recommenced?
9 A. Yes, he was.
10 Q. How were the negotiations conducted? By that I mean did someone
11 go into the house or was someone communicating with him from outside the
12 house?
13 A. They were in the house. We were outside, up by some other
14 houses. So it was mostly outside.
15 Q. What were the respective numbers of the soldiers? You said there
16 were five or six of them. How many of them -- how many of you, that is,
17 ABiH soldiers, were in the vicinity of the house -- of the area where the
18 HVO soldiers were?
19 A. About ten.
20 Q. You told us about negotiations with Rajic. Did you reach
21 agreement with Rajic?
22 A. After about two hours, after there was this exchange of gunfire
23 for about two hours.
24 Q. And what was the agreement that your side reached with the --
25 with Rajic and his HVO members?
Page 753
1 A. The agreement that was reached was that both of us should take
2 off our ammunition clips and move in the direction of Lasva to solve the
3 problem with the captives.
4 Q. That was the agreement. Did you in fact remove your magazine
5 clips?
6 A. Yes, we did.
7 Q. Did Rajic and the HVO people come out?
8 A. Yes.
9 Q. What happened to Rajic's and the HVO members' weapons when they
10 came out?
11 A. They carried them with them.
12 Q. Where did your group and Rajic and the other HVO members go?
13 A. We took the road towards Lasva.
14 Q. All right. What I want you to do now is to get the map again,
15 which is to your right, get the black texter, and mark where the road to
16 Lasva is -- mark the route you took from then.
17 A. [Marks]
18 Q. Thank you. Now, you said, I think, there were -- are you able to
19 tell us today the exact number of HVO soldiers that were accompanying you
20 along the road towards Lasva?
21 A. Five.
22 Q. And the five include Zvonko Rajic; is that correct?
23 A. Yes.
24 Q. I'm going to ask you again about civilians in the village after
25 or about the time of the exchange of gunfire between your group and the
Page 754
1 HVO and the successful negotiations for the HVO members to come out.
2 What can you tell the Trial Chamber about the presence of civilians in
3 that area over those few hours?
4 A. Near the house Zvonko Rajic was in, the civilians were brought,
5 the Croats.
6 Q. I'd like you to expand upon that. You said the civilians -- the
7 civilian Croats were brought. I want you to tell us how many Croat
8 civilians and who brought them to the house.
9 A. I don't know exactly how many civilians there were. I don't know
10 how many soldiers there were who brought them there. They didn't bring
11 them to the house but to near the house, where there was an exchange of
12 gunfire.
13 Q. All right. Which side were the soldiers from?
14 A. I'm not clear on what you mean.
15 Q. You said soldiers brought the Croat civilians to the house -- or
16 near the house. Were the soldiers HVO soldiers or ABiH soldiers?
17 A. Members of our unit.
18 Q. You said you don't know exactly. I want you to tell the Trial
19 Chamber roughly how many soldiers there were and how many soldiers there
20 were escorting roughly how many civilians. You don't need to be precise.
21 THE INTERPRETER: Could the witness please repeat his answer.
22 MR. RE:
23 Q. Witness BA, we didn't hear your last answer. Could you just say
24 it a bit more loudly so the interpreters can hear you.
25 A. Between 1 and 40.
Page 755
1 Q. I'm sorry, I don't quite understand that answer. Firstly can we
2 divide it into two. Approximately, roughly, how many civilians were
3 being escorted to the place near the house? Then I'll ask you about the
4 soldiers. I mean, was it less than ten, more than ten, less than five,
5 more than five, less than twenty, more than twenty? That's the sort of
6 information we're interested in.
7 A. I think more than ten.
8 Q. All right. Now, what about the soldiers? Again, less than five,
9 more than five, less than ten, more than ten, less than twenty, more than
10 twenty, or whatever.
11 A. I can't tell you about the soldiers. I don't know how many
12 exactly there were. You couldn't see them. Perhaps you could see two of
13 them. Now, any others that might have been there, you couldn't actually
14 see.
15 Q. All right. Well, the ones -- the soldiers you saw, were they
16 members of your company or of the Blue Falcons?
17 A. I don't remember exactly.
18 Q. Can you tell us whether you know of not the names but who any of
19 the civilians were in this group. I don't need the names, just if you
20 know the identity, as in their relationship to someone.
21 A. All I know is that Zvonko Rajic's wife was there.
22 Q. Zvonko Rajic's wife was in this group of civilians who were being
23 brought to a place near the house where he was; is that what you're
24 saying?
25 A. Yes.
Page 756
1 Q. Was Zvonko Rajic made aware of the fact during negotiations that
2 his wife was outside in the presence or company of armed ABiH soldiers?
3 A. Yes, he was.
4 Q. Was that one of the negotiating points?
5 A. I don't understand the question.
6 Q. Was the fact that Zvonko Rajic's wife was outside, in the
7 presence of armed ABiH soldiers, one of the points that was used when
8 your company negotiated with Zvonko Rajic to come out?
9 A. The sporadic shooting lasted about two hours, so Zvonko Rajic
10 didn't want to negotiate until the civilians were brought in and until he
11 realised that his wife was amongst them.
12 Q. How did he come to find out that his wife was outside amongst the
13 armed ABiH soldiers when he was inside?
14 A. Because our members informed him that she was there.
15 Q. Was that one of the factors that -- was that one of the things
16 that led him to come out, from what you saw?
17 A. At first he didn't want to go out. Then the negotiations
18 started, that both sides should take off their magazine clips from their
19 weapons.
20 Q. All right. Witness BA, I'm not asking you that. I'm asking you
21 about Zvonko Rajic's wife and the fact that your soldiers told him that
22 his wife was -- I'm sorry, I withdraw that.
23 My question is: How did you -- how did Zvonko Rajic become aware
24 that his wife was outside in the presence of armed ABiH soldiers? How
25 did he come to know that? Did he see it or did someone tell him or what?
Page 757
1 A. He was told. But I think he could also see it, because they were
2 brought quite close up to the house, so he could see that for himself.
3 That's what I think.
4 Q. All right. You said he was told. What I just want you to tell
5 the Trial Chamber is who told him and what did they say. Not using the
6 precise or exact words but the effect of what was said to him inside the
7 house.
8 A. Well, the effect was that he undertook to negotiate immediately
9 afterwards.
10 Q. Well, what was said to him about his wife being outside in the
11 presence of armed ABiH soldiers that led him to undertake to negotiate
12 immediately?
13 A. He didn't start to negotiate straight away, as I said a moment
14 ago. This went on -- the sporadic shooting went on for some time. And
15 it was only after some 50 minutes had gone by that he started to
16 negotiate.
17 Q. All right. If I can take you back to the map on which you drew
18 your route with Zvonko Rajic and the four other HVO members, back towards
19 the road to Lasva. You've just told us about some civilians -- some
20 contact with civilians when Zvonko Rajic was in the house. Did you have
21 -- did you meet anyone on the way? When I say "on the way," I mean on
22 the road, the route you've just -- you've marked from Brdo to Lasva.
23 A. No, we didn't. I don't remember, actually.
24 Q. Did you go straight to Lasva from Brdo or did you stop somewhere?
25 A. We stopped. So we were going from Brdo towards Lasva and we
Page 758
1 stopped some 2 to 3 hundred metres before Lasva.
2 Q. Why did you stop, Witness BA?
3 A. Because we received information that members of the HVO had set
4 up a barricade or, rather, an ambush.
5 Q. Can you recall how you got that information?
6 A. One of the locals told us.
7 Q. How did you react to this information?
8 A. We lost -- the members of the HVO who were with us -- actually,
9 we didn't think that they were keeping to their part of the agreement
10 with respect to the weapons in Lasva, so we took their weapons from them
11 and a part started to return.
12 Q. Return to Dusina?
13 A. No, back to Brdo.
14 Q. All right. What did Zvonko Rajic do on the way back to Brdo?
15 A. We took the road and after 1 or 2 hundred metres Zvonko Rajic
16 attempted to escape.
17 Q. How did he do that?
18 A. He just separated from his group and started running.
19 Q. Which direction did he run?
20 A. Across a meadow, in the direction of Lasva.
21 Q. What was the reaction of your group to Zvonko Rajic attempting to
22 escape?
23 A. We shouted out to him to stop. He paid no attention. And we
24 started shooting.
25 Q. When you say "we," how many of you fired at Zvonko Rajic -- I'm
Page 759
1 sorry. You said "shooting." In what direction did you shoot and how
2 many of you shot?
3 A. I think two or three.
4 Q. Were you one of the shooters?
5 A. Yes, I was.
6 Q. In which direction did you shoot?
7 A. In the direction of Zvonko Rajic.
8 Q. Was he still running when you shot at him?
9 A. As far as I remember, yes, he was.
10 Q. Did you hit him?
11 A. Yes, we did.
12 Q. Where was he shot? On which part of his body was he shot?
13 A. He was shot in several places, all in his lower extremities, the
14 bottom half of his body.
15 Q. Do you mean his legs?
16 A. Below his hips and in his legs.
17 Q. Did he fall to the ground as a result of being shot?
18 A. Yes, he did.
19 Q. Where were the four other HVO members when you shot Zvonko Rajic?
20 A. They were together with the rest of our members on the road.
21 Q. You just told us that you shot Zvonko Rajic and he was lying on
22 the ground wounded by shots to his lower extremities. What did your
23 group do?
24 A. I'm not quite clear. I'm not following the last thing you said.
25 Q. Zvonko Rajic was lying on the ground shot. What did you and the
Page 760
1 members of your company do then? Did you leave him there? Did you go to
2 him? Did you do something else?
3 A. We went up to him.
4 Q. What about the four HVO members? Did they go with you to Zvonko
5 Rajic?
6 A. We called them, yes.
7 Q. You called them over?
8 A. Yes.
9 Q. Did you ask them to do something?
10 A. Yes, we did.
11 Q. What did you ask the HVO members to do?
12 A. As he was wounded, we asked them to pick him up.
13 Q. And what did they do?
14 A. They took him up and took him.
15 Q. About what time of the morning was this when you shot Zvonko
16 Rajic?
17 A. Perhaps around 9.00. 9.00; perhaps a little later. I can't
18 quite remember.
19 Q. All right. Where did your soldiers and the HVO members who were
20 carrying Zvonko Rajic go then?
21 A. Well, they took the road back.
22 Q. Back where? Was it back to Brdo or back to Lasva?
23 A. Back towards Brdo.
24 Q. How far did you get?
25 A. Perhaps 200 metres. I really can't say.
Page 761
1 Q. Did you stop after about 200 metres or so?
2 A. Part of the unit withdrew, and the other part stayed in the lower
3 half to provide security. We lost our -- we were no longer certain what
4 we -- we weren't certain that the HVO wouldn't attack us, so part of the
5 unit stayed in that lower area.
6 Q. You've told us about the presence of Blue Falcon members in
7 Dusina on the 26th of January. Did you see any members of the Blue
8 Falcons on your way back to Brdo with the injured Zvonko Rajic and the
9 four HVO members?
10 A. No, I didn't.
11 MR. RE: Your Honour, could I just have a moment to consult the
12 transcript, please.
13 [Prosecution counsel confer]
14 Q. I've already asked you --
15 MR. RE: I thank Your Honours.
16 Q. I've already asked you about Serif Patkovic, who you said was the
17 commander of the Blue Falcons. Did you see him in Dusina when you were
18 with the injured Zvonko Rajic and the four HVO members?
19 A. No, I didn't.
20 Q. What about in Brdo -- or sorry, on the road towards Brdo?
21 A. I didn't.
22 Q. Where you did you take the injured Zvonko Rajic to?
23 A. I stayed providing security along the road should there be a
24 conflict, if there was shooting again. So I stayed on the road to
25 provide security there, I and four other members.
Page 762
1 Q. You were with Zvonko Rajic, who had been shot in the leg, and
2 four injured HVO members, and you were walking back with them towards
3 Brdo. You said you stopped. Why did you stop?
4 A. We stopped straight after Zvonko Rajic had been wounded, when he
5 started to flee. That's where we stopped, as Zvonko Rajic and four or
6 five others took the road, and I, as I said, stayed on the road to secure
7 the road there.
8 Q. Mr. -- sorry, Witness BA, you are aware of why you are giving
9 evidence before this Trial Chamber, aren't you?
10 A. Yes.
11 Q. You are aware that you're here to give evidence about the
12 shooting of Zvonko Rajic and an incident involving Serif Patkovic, aren't
13 you?
14 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The Defence. Counsel, you have
15 the floor.
16 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] The Prosecutor has just started
17 to cross-examine the witness, so that we object. In an
18 examination-in-chief, questions like that of the witness are improper.
19 MR. RE: I'm not cross-examining the witness. I'm asking the
20 witness if he knows why he's here in accordance with the summary that we
21 filed. And Your Honours have a copy of the summary. The witness can
22 answer yes or no; we can remind him of why he's here; we can move on. I
23 just don't want to waste the Trial Chamber's time.
24 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] I shall address the witness
25 directly, in the light of this difficulty.
Page 763
1 The witness is here to testify about what he has seen. Can the
2 witness answer this question, please.
3 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] I know that.
4 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. The witness knows that
5 he must tell the truth, because you made a solemn declaration whereby you
6 were going to tell the truth.
7 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] And precisely because of that
8 solemn declaration I am telling the truth.
9 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] As you are telling the truth,
10 answer either by saying yes or no or answer the question exactly, please.
11 We shall now adjourn and both parties will be able to have a rest
12 during this break. And we shall resume the examination-in-chief at five
13 minutes past 4.00. We shall have a 20-minute break.
14 --- Recess taken at 3.43 p.m.
15 --- On resuming at 4.05 p.m.
16 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] It is now five past 4.00. We
17 are resuming this hearing. We will have another break at half past 5.00,
18 have a 20-minute break and resume around ten to 6.00 or five to 6.00 and
19 finish at 7.00. Given this time frame, I don't know whether we can
20 complete the cross-examination during that time.
21 Can the Defence tell us how much time they will be needing -- the
22 Prosecution, sorry -- how much time the Prosecution will be needing for
23 the rest of its examination?
24 MR. RE: Unfortunately, I can't. Your Honours can see how slowly
25 it's going. I think Your Honours are aware of the scope of the evidence
Page 764
1 I'm trying to elicit and how long it's taking. We've gone way beyond our
2 estimate now. I just can't give a realistic estimate at the moment. I
3 apologise for that.
4 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Well, under these
5 circumstances, if we haven't finished, the witness will have to come back
6 tomorrow.
7 So please proceed with your questions.
8 The Defence, you would like to take the floor.
9 MR. BOURGON: [Interpretation] Yes, very briefly. During the
10 break, the Trial Chamber -- just before the break, the Trial Chamber had
11 told the witness that the Prosecution could ask a question directly to
12 the witness, and the witness would be asked to answer either by saying
13 yes or no. We believe, Your Honour, that this procedure amounts to the
14 fact that the Prosecution will be entitled to ask leading questions. The
15 situation we are confronted with is the following: The Prosecution is
16 asking questions and does not get the answers it wishes to get; the
17 witness has been warned formally by the Trial Chamber and has been told
18 exactly what he was to do. He answered that he was telling the truth and
19 that he had understood that he had to tell the truth. Under these
20 circumstances, Your Honour, we believe that, A, the Trial Chamber should
21 maintain its decision taken last week - in other words, not allow the
22 Prosecution to refresh the memory of the witness as regards his
23 statement, and also not entitle the Prosecution to ask leading questions.
24 Thank you, Your Honour.
25 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes. When we, the Trial
Page 765
1 Chamber, asked that the Prosecution ask questions and the witness answer
2 either by saying yes or no, these questions were not to be leading
3 questions, of course. That stands to reason.
4 So I shall give the floor back now to the Prosecution.
5 MR. RE:
6 Q. I want to show you a diagram, Witness BA. It's a diagram you
7 prepared on which you've marked a number of events and a diagram which
8 corresponds with the map on which you've drawn, which is P12 -- I'm
9 sorry, was it -- I haven't tendered it, but P12 MFI. It should be on the
10 screen in front of you now, Witness BA. Can you look down, please.
11 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Just wait a minute, please.
12 Before giving the floor to the Prosecution, yesterday we were referring
13 to a document, P12, which had not officially been tendered into evidence.
14 This is not the document we have just been given. It was in effect the
15 map, which we have just seen on the ELMO. So this is yesterday's
16 document. This document has got nothing to do with it. I answered and
17 anticipated the question of the Defence. Am I right? So we are now
18 talking about this exhibit, P12, which had not been tendered into
19 evidence.
20 MR. RE: No, we're not. We're talking about the diagram which is
21 now being displayed on Sanction, which the witness has in front of him.
22 Q. Witness BA, in front of you is a diagram which you prepared on
23 which you have marked various locations which correspond with the map,
24 which is P12 on the --
25 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. Where does this diagram
Page 766
1 come from? What is the source of this document?
2 MR. RE: The witness. The witness drew a diagram, marking on it
3 very places. I can hand a translation in English to Your Honours. It's
4 location -- X1, location where commanding officer Camdzic was killed; 2,
5 where bullet was fired; 3, where Rajic was fired; 4 -- and so on.
6 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The Defence, you have the
7 floor.
8 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] As far as we understood it from
9 the documents we received from the Prosecution, this diagram is a
10 component part of the previous statement and cannot be used to refresh
11 the witness's memory of what he said in his previous statement or
12 testimony.
13 MR. RE: The Prosecution isn't attempting to do that. The
14 Prosecution is attempting to facilitate proceedings by rather than have
15 the witness draw in court the various things which he has described to
16 date to show him a document he prepared on which he has written the
17 various things and to use that as an aide-memoire for the proceedings and
18 to tender it at the appropriate stage. I'm not attempting to refresh the
19 witness's memory, and it's not a statement. It's a diagram he drew,
20 which if Your Honour looks Your Honour can see from the -- Your Honours
21 can see from the wavy lines, the road, it actually corresponds with P12,
22 which hasn't been tendered yet. And I have another document which the
23 witness marked out of court on which -- actually handing it up -- which
24 he has actually drawn in yellow on the map, which is an identical copy of
25 P12, to correspond to -- to correspond this with that. And I wish to use
Page 767
1 both as an aide-memoire to the witness in his evidence to facilitate
2 presentation of evidence before the Trial Chamber and to ensure that the
3 Trial Chamber has the most accurate and correct and truthful version of
4 events before it.
5 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] If the Trial Chamber has
6 understood you correctly, this document entitled "Exhibit P22" is a
7 document which the witness has drafted at the time he was being
8 questioned by the Office of the Prosecutor; in other words, sometime
9 ago. In other words, you want to use this document, which was part and
10 parcel of his former statement, together with a map, which we saw
11 yesterday and which he mentioned the events.
12 So this does pose the question: Can we include this document
13 marked P22, which is a document that goes back to his written statement,
14 in relation to the document he authenticated recently? The Defence seems
15 to challenge this, as it mentioned, because the witness can be asked
16 during the examination-in-chief, to be asked to indicate the itinerary on
17 the map. If he agrees, he does pinpoint the specific locations. Is that
18 the point of view of the Defence?
19 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Yes, Your Honour. If the
20 Prosecution so wishes, the witness can show and draw in the road that he
21 described and testified about before this Trial Chamber here today. If
22 the Prosecution wishes to ask him to do so, he can do so straight away
23 now. But the problem is that it is the component part of a statement --
24 of the previous statement. So it's not the diagram that's the problem,
25 it's that there's a text underneath and that contains what the witness
Page 768
1 wishes to tell the witness [as interpreted], to remind him of his
2 previous testimony and statement. And I don't think that is a proper way
3 ask that it can be tendered and introduced into the trial proceedings in
4 this way. Thank you.
5 MR. RE: As I've said, I'm not attempting to use it to refresh
6 the witness's memory. I'm using it to facilitate the calling of evidence
7 before the Trial Chamber. In the Prosecution's submission, I can -- I
8 should be able to show him this document, which he drew on yesterday, in
9 conjunction with one which he identified -- which he wrote on earlier.
10 We'll get to the same point.
11 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. Given the objection
12 raised by the Defence, the Trial Chamber feels that the witness can be
13 given a white sheet of paper. The witness will be asked to mention a
14 number of things pertaining to your questions. We shall now take this
15 document, P22, away. We shall give the witness a white sheet of paper.
16 So you may ask him your questions very quickly and ask him to
17 visualise or locate on this white sheet of paper those particular areas
18 you are interested in. The Prosecution, you can do this rather quickly,
19 I believe.
20 MR. RE:
21 Q. Witness BA, you heard what His Honour said. What we want you to
22 do is to draw on that piece of paper, draw a map marking the road to
23 Lasva, Brdo, Dusina, the road to Visjnica, the junction of the Lasva and
24 Bosna Rivers. Can you please draw those on as quickly as you possibly
25 can.
Page 769
1 A. [Witness complies
2 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] So it's taken us just under one
3 minute. So please put this document on the ELMO.
4 MR. RE:
5 Q. All right, Witness BA. I want you to mark on it with the same
6 pen the following thing, please: I want you to mark with an X1 where
7 Elvedin Camdzic was killed, please.
8 A. [Marks]
9 Q. Could you perhaps do a circle around that to make it a little bit
10 clearer.
11 A. [Marks]
12 Q. Okay. X2, I want you to mark the spot where you shot Zvonko
13 Rajic, please.
14 A. [Marks]
15 Q. All right. Can you mark -- I'm sorry, that was my fault. Can
16 you please put "X2" in fairly large letters next to that.
17 A. [Marks]
18 Q. Can you please mark the spot where Zvonko Rajic was killed,
19 please, with "X3."
20 A. [Marks]
21 Q. Can you please mark with "X4" the position where the people
22 captured from Dusina were brought to.
23 A. [Marks]
24 Q. Thank you. Can you please now write and sign your name on the
25 bottom of that piece of paper -- I'm sorry, don't, don't. My mistake.
Page 770
1 Would you please write "Witness BA" on the bottom of it.
2 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Microphone not activated] .
3 THE INTERPRETER: Microphone, please, Your Honour. Microphone
4 for the President.
5 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes. I was saying that as we
6 are not in private session, if you would like the witness to authenticate
7 his signature, you have to ask to have a -- to be in private session.
8 MR. RE: It will suffice if he just -- for Prosecution's purposes
9 if he just writes "Witness BA" on it, for the court record, and no one
10 will know who he is.
11 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Is that all right with you, the
12 Defence team, "Witness BA"?
13 So Witness, please, can you just write at the bottom of this
14 sheet of paper "Witness BA," please.
15 THE WITNESS: [Witness complies]
16 MR. RE:
17 Q. Thank you. And can you please put the date on it as well.
18 [Trial Chamber and registrar confer]
19 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Please proceed.
20 MR. RE: May that be tendered into evidence, please.
21 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Microphone not activated]
22 [Trial Chamber and registrar confer]
23 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Microphone not activated]
24 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes. "Svedok BA" is written on
25 here. I presume that in B/C/S "svedok" means "witness," does it?
Page 771
1 To make sure that this remains confidential, we shall -- Please,
2 Madam Registrar, could you give me a confidential exhibit number, please.
3 THE REGISTRAR: [Previous translation continues] ... P13, under
4 seal.
5 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] It's taken us all in all two
6 minutes. This was a much better solution.
7 Please proceed.
8 MR. RE:
9 Q. Thank you, Mr. -- sorry, Witness, Witness BA for marking that
10 diagram for us. On that diagram, you marked the position where Zvonko
11 Rajic was killed. I want to tell the -- to describe, please, to the
12 Trial Chamber how Zvonko Rajic was killed; that is, who killed him and
13 how.
14 A. I can't describe that, because I was present.
15 THE INTERPRETER: Could the witness repeat his answer, whether he
16 was or was not present. Thank you.
17 MR. RE:
18 Q. Witness BA, your last answer was "I can't describe that because I
19 was present." What I'm asking you to tell the Trial Chamber is to tell
20 it, tell Their Honours, how Zvonko Rajic was killed.
21 A. I said I was not present. I didn't say "present." I said "not
22 present."
23 [Prosecution counsel confer]
24 MR. RE:
25 Q. When you said "present," where were you when Zvonko Rajic was
Page 772
1 killed, Witness BA?
2 A. I stayed at a place some 2 or 3 hundred metres lower down, and I
3 marked it in the spot where I said "Zvonko Rajic, wounded."
4 Q. You've marked Zvonko Rajic -- the place where he was killed on
5 the map. Presumably that means that you know that he was in fact killed,
6 doesn't it?
7 A. After about an hour, I went up to the spot where Zvonko Rajic
8 was, and according to what I saw myself you couldn't actually say whether
9 he was dead, whether he'd already succumbed to his wounds, or not.
10 Q. On the map you haven't marked -- you didn't say he succumbed to
11 his injuries on that spot, but you marked on the map the spot where he
12 was, in fact, killed. I want you to tell the Trial Chamber how you were
13 able to mark on that map that that was the spot where he was killed, as
14 opposed to succumbed to his injuries.
15 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The Defence has the floor.
16 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Once again we seem to be
17 cross-examining, and the Defence has noted that the witness did not say
18 whether he had been killed or not. The witness placed an "X" on the spot
19 he, the Prosecutor, suggested that he should say where the killing took
20 place. So this is the first time that the witness is actually telling us
21 what he knows about Zvonko Rajic's death and making that clearer.
22 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] I now turn to the Prosecution.
23 In the document marked P13, the witness indicated in which spot the man
24 was killed. The mere fact that he indicated in which spot that he was
25 present at the time, and he did say a while ago - I look at the
Page 773
1 transcript - he was 200 metres away from the spot where the body was, and
2 he discovered that Rajic was there. He didn't know whether the man was
3 alive or not. This is what he told us.
4 So you can ask further questions, but he tells us under oath that
5 he was not there at the time the man in question was killed.
6 MR. RE: Your Honours, I -- I intent to move on from the area of
7 Dusina at the moment. I may revisit it later at some point. I'll move
8 on to another topic.
9 Q. Mr. Witness BA, yesterday you gave some evidence to the Trial
10 Chamber about the fact that your company was stationed in the Zenica
11 Music School at the time of the attack on Dusina in January 1993. This
12 isn't the question; this is just to introduce it to you.
13 Your evidence was that at the time you were stationed in the
14 Zenica Music School the basement was used as a storage facility. When
15 your unit moved out of the Zenica Music School, who moved in or who took
16 control of the school?
17 A. The military police.
18 Q. Was that the military police of the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade?
19 A. Yes.
20 Q. What was the 7th -- what were the military police using the
21 Zenica Music School for?
22 A. They were using it as a place where the members of the military
23 police were accommodated.
24 Q. What were they using the basement for -- for what -- I withdraw
25 that. No, I don't. What were they using the basement for after they
Page 774
1 moved in and you moved out?
2 A. As a prison.
3 Q. A prison for who?
4 A. For prisoners.
5 Q. Civilians or prisoners of war?
6 A. I don't know exactly.
7 Q. I'm going to ask you about something that happened in April 1993
8 near Zmajevac. Can you tell the Trial Chamber about meeting some people
9 in Zmajevac or near Zmajevac, which is in Zenica, in about April 1993.
10 A. Well, I couldn't refer to it as meeting.
11 Q. Well, tell the Trial Chamber what happened.
12 A. During the second conflict with the HVO - that means we were on
13 Zmajevac Hill - and in a house, civilians were sort of captured: Two
14 men, two women, and a child.
15 Q. Who captured them?
16 A. Our unit members.
17 Q. Were you one of them?
18 A. Yes, I was.
19 Q. What did you do with these people you captured?
20 A. From my co-fighters, I was told to take them out of the zone
21 where there was shooting.
22 Q. Where did you take them to?
23 A. In the direction of Tetovo.
24 Q. Where is Tetovo in relation to Zenica? There's a -- there's a
25 large map just behind you, if you wish to refer to that. It may assist.
Page 775
1 It's P1.
2 A. In this part here.
3 Q. All right. Can you just describe it. It's just above Zenica on
4 the map; is that correct? I'm sorry, I can't quite see from here. Can
5 you just describe what's immediately below where you were pointing to.
6 A. It's downstream from Zenica, so downstream, down the River Bosna
7 on the left-hand bank, near the Zenica iron works.
8 Q. All right. And on the map you just pointed to, it's just north
9 of Zenica; is that correct?
10 A. Here.
11 Q. For the record, you're indicating -- or you indicated on the
12 large map, P1, just below the words -- the large word "Zenica," in
13 between Zenica and where it's written "smokestack."
14 MR. RE: Thank you, Mr. Usher.
15 Q. Witness BA, you said you were told to take the witnesses --
16 sorry, the civilians in that -- towards Tetovo, which is where you just
17 showed us on the map. Where did you go to?
18 A. Yes.
19 THE INTERPRETER: Could the witness please repeat his answer.
20 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] I reached the crossroads, in the
21 centre of Tetovo.
22 MR. RE:
23 Q. What happened when you reached the crossroads? What did you meet
24 -- who did you meet?
25 A. The battalion commander.
Page 776
1 Q. And was that Serif Patkovic?
2 A. Yes.
3 Q. And what did he tell you to do?
4 A. That I should let the two women and child go and take the two men
5 into the school --
6 Q. -- take the two men --
7 THE INTERPRETER: Could the witness please be asked to speak up.
8 Thank you.
9 MR. RE:
10 Q. Sorry. Witness BA, would you be able to speak up. I know you've
11 got a soft voice, but the interpreters have to be able to hear you.
12 We heard your answer to take them to -- into the school. Are you
13 referring to the Zenica Music School?
14 A. Yes.
15 Q. Did you take the two men to the Zenica Music School?
16 A. Yes.
17 Q. What did you do with the two men when you got to the Zenica Music
18 School?
19 A. I handed them over to the members of the military police at the
20 entrance.
21 Q. Were these two people you handed over -- sorry, what was the
22 ethnicity of these two men that you handed over to the military police?
23 A. I think one of them was a Croat and the other a Serb.
24 Q. Were they HVO members, VRS members, or civilians?
25 A. I don't know.
Page 777
1 Q. Whereabouts physically, in relation to the entrance to the music
2 school did you hand them over? I mean, was it inside the building,
3 outside the building; where?
4 A. At the entrance to the building.
5 Q. What did the military police do when you handed these two
6 prisoners over to them?
7 A. One of the military policemen started beating the two.
8 Q. How did he do that?
9 A. How? How you beat people.
10 Q. Well, what did he use to beat them with and where did he beat
11 them on their bodies?
12 A. Mostly on their backs. I don't remember him using any
13 instrument.
14 Q. How old were these prisoners?
15 A. One was I think 55 to 60 years old, and the other one was
16 younger, perhaps 35.
17 Q. What was your response to this military police officer beating
18 the prisoners you handed over to them?
19 A. Quite simply I said to one of the policemen that he should stop
20 beating the people. I can't explain. Probably I felt sorry for them.
21 It's as simple as that.
22 Q. You've just told us you visited the music school in April 1993 by
23 taking two prisoners there. Now, what about in June 1993? Did you visit
24 the music school and go inside?
25 A. Once.
Page 778
1 Q. You've told us about the use of the basement as a detention
2 centre during the war. Did you go to the basement?
3 A. Up to the entrance to the basement.
4 Q. All right. Could you describe the entrance to the basement to
5 the Trial Chamber.
6 A. You go down the stairs, and you come to a door.
7 Q. What sort of door was it?
8 A. I don't remember exactly what kind.
9 Q. Why did you go there in June 1993? What had you heard about the
10 music school that led you to go there?
11 A. Out of curiosity.
12 Q. What had fed your curiosity? What had you heard that made you
13 curious to go to the basement where the prisoners were being kept?
14 A. I don't remember exactly.
15 Q. Were there any prisoners in the basement when you went to the
16 basement door?
17 A. Yes, there were.
18 Q. How many prisoners were there?
19 A. I don't know exactly. I saw two or three from the entrance, but
20 I can't remember exactly.
21 Q. What was the ethnicity of the prisoners you could see there?
22 A. I don't know. I didn't ask them.
23 Q. Can you say whether they were POWs or civilians?
24 A. I don't know exactly.
25 Q. What, if anything, had you heard about the ethnicity of the
Page 779
1 prisoners in detention there?
2 A. I don't remember.
3 Q. What can you say about the reputation of the guards at the Zenica
4 Music School?
5 A. Well, what can you say? I don't know. I don't know in what
6 sense you mean.
7 Q. Well, I'm asking you whether you had heard anything about the
8 reputation. Did they have a reputation for anything that you had heard
9 of?
10 A. It's one thing what I heard and another what I saw. A moment ago
11 I said I saw them beat two of the men there. I can't say they beat all
12 of them when I didn't see it happen.
13 Q. No. But you've told the Trial Chamber that you went there in
14 April 1993 and you handed over two prisoners who were beaten at the door.
15 You then told us that you were curious and you went back there two months
16 later and had a look in the basement yourself. My question is: What had
17 you heard about the reputation of the guards or the place that led you
18 back, in view of your experience of seeing prisoners being beaten at the
19 door?
20 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The Defence counsel for
21 Mr. Kubura is now taking the floor.
22 MR. IBRISIMOVIC: [Interpretation] The Defence of Mr. Kubura
23 considers that to be a leading question. The witness already answered
24 it. Asked and answered. He said he hadn't heard anything about the
25 reputation of the guards in the music school.
Page 780
1 MR. RE: He didn't say that, no. The transcript doesn't say
2 that. It says, "What can you say? I don't know. I don't know in what
3 sense you mean." I'm attempting to clarify it.
4 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] You may ask the question
5 again -- or the Trial Chamber will ask the question.
6 Have you heard on the part of -- or from people that were close
7 to you, people from outside, any comments about the guards in the music
8 school?
9 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] I heard some comments, but the
10 comments were not essential, so I don't see what purpose it would serve
11 for me to say anything along those lines here.
12 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. So he is telling us that
13 he heard comments but these comments are irrelevant to him.
14 MR. RE: Could we move into private session for a moment, please,
15 Your Honours. It's an identity issue.
16 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] So we shall now go into private
17 session.
18 [Private session]
19 (redacted)
20 (redacted)
21 (redacted)
22 (redacted)
23 (redacted)
24 (redacted)
25 (redacted)
Page 781
1 (redacted)
2 (redacted)
3 (redacted)
4 (redacted)
5 (redacted)
6 (redacted)
7 (redacted)
8 (redacted)
9 (redacted)
10 (redacted)
11 (redacted)
12 (redacted)
13 (redacted)
14 (redacted)
15 (redacted)
16 (redacted)
17 (redacted)
18 (redacted)
19 (redacted)
20 (redacted)
21 (redacted)
22 (redacted)
23 (redacted)
24 (redacted)
25 [Open session]
Page 782
1 THE REGISTRAR: We are in open session, Your Honour.
2 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Please continue, Mr. Re.
3 MR. RE:
4 Q. Witness BA, are you able to say whether the guards had a
5 reputation for anything, as opposed to the place having a reputation?
6 And I mean by name.
7 A. I don't know, because I didn't see it. I didn't see any one of
8 them being harsher than the others.
9 Q. What was the Zenica KP Dom used for?
10 A. As a KP Dom.
11 Q. That mean correctional centre?
12 A. Yes.
13 Q. Were you aware of prisoners being transferred from the Zenica
14 Music School to the KP Dom?
15 A. All the prisoners who were captured were transported to the KP
16 Dom.
17 Q. I'm talking about prisoners being moved from the Zenica Music
18 School to the KP Dom. Were you aware of prisoners being captured, taken
19 to the Zenica Music School, and then being transferred to the KP Dom?
20 A. I knew that people were being held captive in the music school,
21 but I didn't escort anybody from the music school to the KP Dom, so I
22 don't know about that.
23 Q. Were you aware of things that prisoners from the Zenica Music
24 School were saying about the music school when they got to the KP Dom?
25 A. I don't know. I didn't have occasion to be at the KP Dom with
Page 783
1 them.
2 Q. Well, I'm not asking you that. I'm asking you whether you heard.
3 Did you hear from anyone at the KP Dom or anyone else about what
4 prisoners were saying?
5 A. May I ask a question?
6 Q. Are you seeking clarification of my question?
7 A. Yes.
8 Q. The question I'm asking you is not whether you were at the KP Dom
9 but whether you heard from other people what the prisoners who were
10 transferred to the KP Dom were saying about the Zenica Music School.
11 A. May I ask a question? I'm asking you again. With your
12 permission.
13 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes. Witness, you may ask your
14 question.
15 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] If I say that I heard something and
16 I don't know who I heard it from and I can't give you his name, then what
17 use would that be to the Court? Thank you.
18 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Please proceed.
19 MR. RE: Thank you.
20 Q. Can you answer the question I'm asking you, and that is -- and it
21 seems implicit from the question you just asked me that you had heard
22 things. If that is the case, can you please tell Their Honours what you
23 had heard about what the prisoners were saying when they went to the KP
24 Dom.
25 MR. DIXON: Your Honour.
Page 784
1 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes, you have the floor,
2 Mr. Dixon.
3 MR. DIXON: If I may raise an objection. Many of the questions
4 that the Prosecution has been asking the witness are, strictly speaking,
5 hearsay questions. It's not what the -- the witness himself has seen but
6 what somebody else might have seen, which the witness might have then
7 heard from that person. The jurisprudence before the Tribunal is that
8 yes, hearsay evidence may be admitted if it is relevant and reliable.
9 However, this last question is more than hearsay. It's in fact
10 double hearsay. It's what prisoners might have said to other people who
11 then might have said it to the witness. And in those circumstances, I
12 would object to this evidence being given, as that it's so far removed
13 from what might have happened. If there are witnesses who heard that
14 themselves or saw it themselves, they could always be called by the
15 Prosecution.
16 MR. RE: Your Honours, it goes directly to the question of
17 notice. It may at the moment seem slightly prefer the peripheral. But
18 as Your Honours are aware, the Prosecution case is of the accused having
19 notice or inquiry notice of what was occurring at the Zenica Music
20 School. Our case is that if this witness or other witnesses are able to
21 say -- no, members of the brigade were able to say what was going on.
22 That, in combination with documents and other elements that we intend to
23 lead, at the end of the trial will be sufficient to prove either actual
24 notice or inquiry notice.
25 In relation to the question of the admissibility of otherwise of
Page 785
1 hearsay before the International Tribunal, I'm quoting from Archbold's
2 "International Criminal Courts: Practice, Procedure and Evidence", the
3 authors of whom are Mr. Dixon himself and Mr. Karim A. Khan, Barrister,
4 and His Honour Judge May of Trial Chamber I: "There is no rule governing
5 the admissibility of hear evidence before the ICC, ICTY, ICTR or Special
6 Courts. The Trial Chambers of ICTY and ICTR have refrained from adopting
7 a practice to exclude all hearsay evidence. There is in effect no rule
8 declaring hearsay evidence per se inadmissible. The general scheme for
9 the admissibility of evidence is set out in Rule 89 for both the ICTY and
10 ICTR has guided the Chambers in their deliberations about hearsay
11 evidence."
12 The learned authors of this seminal text, the first text actually
13 gathering the procedural laws in detail for the International Criminal
14 Tribunals now in existence then go on to quote the Tadic Trial Chamber
15 decision on the motion of hearsay from 1996 and the Aleksovski Appeals
16 Chamber decision on the use that can be made of hearsay. I have copies
17 of this if Your Honours wish to see an extract. It's in English. I
18 can't produce a French version, a translation, at the moment.
19 Finally, I'd point out to Your Honours that the Prosecution is
20 obviously asking these particular questions of this witness for a reason;
21 that is, a reason based upon a statement or a proofing session. And we
22 wouldn't be going down this line if we didn't think we could make the
23 evidence relevant, if not now, at a later point when Your Honours come to
24 consider the evidence in its totality.
25 So in the Prosecution's submission, the evidence - although at
Page 786
1 the moment it may seem a little tangential - will ultimately prove to be
2 relevant and probative.
3 Do Your Honours wish me to hand up copies from the extract of
4 Archbold?
5 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The Trial Chamber has noticed
6 the comments made by the counsel of Mr. Kubura, as well as the answer
7 provided by the Prosecution. Regarding this particular comment, it
8 hinges on the fact that the witness through hearsay may have been
9 informed about a number of things which would highlight the truth,
10 thereby providing some information to the Trial Chamber.
11 If I turn to the transcript, I realise that the question was put
12 to him, and he was asked whether he was present or not in this detention
13 centre, and he answered by saying that he had been there on one occasion
14 and that as far as he knew he did not know who was inside. He was then
15 asked a question about the relationship he may have had with someone in
16 this centre. He said that he had had no information from this person.
17 So to the various questions that were put to him, the witness may have
18 been in contradiction with what he stated beforehand. He states today
19 that he cannot provide any information thereof. This is where we stand
20 now.
21 I shall now ask him to tell us whether he has heard about the
22 detention conditions of the prisoners. Can the witness answer this very
23 simple question?
24 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Yes.
25 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. So you heard about this.
Page 787
1 Have you heard about this in vague or concrete terms?
2 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] There was nothing precise that was
3 said.
4 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Those people who are mentioned,
5 were these people actually working in this detention centre or are we
6 talking about other people?
7 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] I heard it from a young guy working
8 in the KP Dom Zenica.
9 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The man who was working at the
10 KP Dom in Zenica, did this man describe what he had seen with his own
11 eyes? Did he describe things in very clear terms or in vague terms to
12 you?
13 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] In vague terms.
14 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Did you feel that what he was
15 telling you was particularly important or not?
16 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] No, I didn't.
17 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] So if I understand you well,
18 you can't tell the Judges anything about the detention conditions at the
19 KP Dom in Zenica.
20 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] I can't, because I was never up
21 there.
22 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Well, I have asked the witness
23 a number of questions. He has answered by saying that he cannot
24 contribute anything and that he cannot provide any information about
25 these events that occurred at the KP Dom in Zenica, and that according to
Page 788
1 him a guard would have mentioned this but in very vague terms to him.
2 Would the Prosecution wish to proceed? Would you like to change
3 the topic and move on to another one?
4 MR. RE: I just seek clarification. Maybe we're at
5 cross-purposes. Your Honour just asked questions about the KP Dom in
6 Zenica. I was actually asking about the Zenica Music School, about
7 prisoners who had been transferred from the music school to the KP Dom
8 and what the prisoners there had said about conditions in the Zenica
9 Music School. The answer Your Honour seems to have elicited, according
10 to the transcript, seems to relate to the KP Dom rather than to the music
11 school. That was what I was trying to clarify.
12 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. So if you wish to,
13 clarify this issue by asking a question about the fate of those people
14 that were at the music school and that were transferred to the KP Dom.
15 But I think he has already answered the question, but I think he didn't
16 know. But please ask him the question again, if you way.
17 MR. RE:
18 Q. Witness BA, my question is just this: What did you hear that
19 prisoners from the Zenica Music School who were transferred to the Zenica
20 KP Dom were saying about what had happened to them at the Zenica Music
21 School?
22 A. They didn't say that anything was happening to them specifically,
23 but it was just this worker in the KP Dom of Zenica that I heard that the
24 prisoners coming from the music school would say they had poor
25 conditions. Now, how far that was true or not, whether they exaggerated
Page 789
1 or not, I really can't say.
2 Q. Poor conditions? Meaning what?
3 A. That's what I heard. Poor conditions were referred to. I can't
4 say what those were. I don't know.
5 Q. All right. We'll move to another topic, and that is the ABiH --
6 or the combat between the ABiH and the HVO in the Ovnak, Susanj,
7 Grahovcici, Brajkovici area in June 1993. Your company, did it
8 participate on HVO manoeuvres in that area in 1993?
9 A. Yes.
10 Q. I'm going to show you a map, which is a larger copy of P1,
11 specifically in that area. What I want you to do is get the large black
12 texter and please mark, in a moment, starting with where your company was
13 and where it went to. Same thing; large line with arrows.
14 A. [Marks]
15 Q. You're indicating on the map from the area of Rebrovac in the
16 direction of Novo Selo. Does Novo Selo have another name?
17 A. We called it Ovnak.
18 Q. Ovnak, O-v-n-a-k. You can see Ovnak is not marked on the map.
19 Is Novo Selo another local name for what is also called Ovnak?
20 A. I think it is.
21 Q. All right. The arrow you have drawn goes just before Novo Selo.
22 Could that also be described as the Susanj area?
23 A. Susanj is on the right.
24 Q. Where did your unit go from the area you have marked on the map?
25 That's the Novo Selo/Ovnak area. Did you go into the village of Susanj?
Page 790
1 A. I'm not quite clear on the question.
2 Q. All right. I'll come to it -- I'll come back to it in a moment.
3 You can see below on the map is Grahovcici. Did other units from
4 the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade attack Grahovcici?
5 A. I don't know exactly which unit attacked this place.
6 Q. Where were the civilians when your unit moved into Ovnak/Susanj
7 area?
8 A. Well, mostly there weren't any civilians there.
9 Q. Was the HVO there then when you moved into the village?
10 A. Mostly there was withdrawal.
11 Q. You've mentioned before that Serif Patkovic was the commander.
12 Was he there on that day leading the attack?
13 A. I don't remember exactly.
14 Q. Who was leading the attack?
15 A. Mostly the commanders of the platoons and so on.
16 Q. Who was your commander on the day?
17 A. I don't remember.
18 Q. When you entered Susanj, how many members of the 7th Muslim
19 Mountain Brigade, roughly, were in that area?
20 A. My unit entered Novo Selo. It didn't go to Susanj. And in that
21 combat position, you can't see all the units. Every unit is doing its
22 own job. Now, who was there, I can't say.
23 Q. You said a moment ago mostly there weren't any civilians in Ovnak
24 when you moved into it. Where were the civilians, or what did you see --
25 what civilians did you see?
Page 791
1 A. Mostly the civilians -- or rather, that was the members of the
2 HVO -- were in a mining area and were withdrawing towards Vitez from
3 there.
4 Q. Was UNPROFOR in the area; that is, the international
5 peace-keeping troops?
6 A. No.
7 Q. Were you given any orders in relation to UNPROFOR, to do anything
8 in relation to UNPROFOR?
9 A. Yes.
10 Q. What were the orders and who gave them to you?
11 A. We received orders to go down to a place that was lower towards
12 Zenica, not to allow anybody to pass through that way.
13 Q. I just asked you about UNPROFOR, and you said not to allow
14 anybody to pass through that way. Does your answer mean not to allow
15 UNPROFOR to pass through that way?
16 A. Not UNPROFOR or anybody else.
17 Q. Was it Serif Patkovic who gave you that order?
18 A. Not to me personally, no.
19 Q. Who did he give the order to?
20 A. I don't know.
21 Q. How do you know he gave the order?
22 A. I don't know.
23 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes, you have the floor, the
24 Defence counsel.
25 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] The witness has answered the
Page 792
1 question. The question was a leading one. He didn't say that Patkovic
2 issued the order, which the Prosecution suggested, but the witness did
3 provide an answer.
4 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] I did not hear the translation.
5 I'm sorry.
6 Could you repeat, please.
7 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] I wanted to react to the question
8 posed by the Prosecutor because the witness -- he suggested to the
9 witness that he had said something earlier on which he didn't in fact
10 say. But there's no need for me to object and react because the witness
11 himself stated this clearly. He said he did not know that Patkovic ever
12 issued the order.
13 MR. RE:
14 Q. Witness BA --
15 MR. RE: I'll move on.
16 Q. Witness BA, where do you go on that day when you were ordered to
17 stop anyone entering the village? What other places did you go to?
18 A. Cajdras.
19 Q. What about the next day? Where did you go then?
20 A. The next day I was in Novo Selo.
21 Q. Were other members of the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade in Novo
22 Selo the next day, that is, Ovnak?
23 A. Yes.
24 JUDGE ANTONETTI: Yes, Mr. Bourgon, you have the floor.
25 MR. BOURGON: [Interpretation] Thank you. Your Honour, I would
Page 793
1 just like to clarify something. I have just read the transcript and the
2 question raised by the Prosecution; to that question, the witness
3 answered that he had been ordered and that the UNPROFOR had told them
4 that nobody should be able to go that way and that they should bar the
5 route. And when another question was put to him, the Prosecution said or
6 insinuated that he had been given the order that nobody should enter the
7 village, which is not what the witness said. I would just like to
8 clarify this and make sure that it's put on the record correctly. Thank
9 you, Your Honour.
10 JUDGE ANTONETTI: The Trial Chamber did see that, pertaining to
11 the question which was asked, the question relating to UNPROFOR. The
12 witness answered, without us being able to understand whether his answer
13 related to UNPROFOR forces or some other event. Therefore, we cannot
14 draw the conclusion that his answer was directly connected with the
15 presence of UNPROFOR. So we need to clarify this point, I believe -- if
16 this question is relevant, of course, and the Trial Chamber does wonder
17 whether it is relevant or not.
18 So I shall give the floor to the Prosecution. If the Prosecution
19 wishes to ask that question again on the presence of UNPROFOR forces in
20 that area and how the group of the witness and UNPROFOR operated or not.
21 THE INTERPRETER: Microphone, please, Your Honour.
22 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] I was saying that the Trial
23 Chamber has noted the Defence's position. The Defence wishes to see this
24 point clarified. You can ask your question again, but I would like to
25 say that we shall be stopping in ten minutes to have our break.
Page 794
1 MR. RE: I wasn't seeking clarification, in light of the answer
2 the witness gave in relation to Serif Patkovic. I wasn't going to take
3 it any further.
4 Q. Witness BA, a moment ago I got to the point where --
5 MR. RE: Excuse me. I've just got to find the transcript again.
6 Q. The question was: The next day, were other members of the
7 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade in Novo Selo or Ovnak? And you answered yes.
8 What were they doing the next day in Ovnak, or Novo Selo?
9 A. They were mostly deployed there, because you can't fight in one
10 place and then withdraw the very next day.
11 Q. The civilians had gone and the soldiers were there; is that
12 right?
13 A. Yes.
14 Q. What were the soldiers doing in relation to the civilians' houses
15 and their property?
16 A. Some of the belongings from the houses were collected together in
17 one spot.
18 Q. What sort of belongings? Describe them, please.
19 A. Mostly household appliances, technical goods.
20 Q. You said were collected together in one spot. Who collected them
21 and put them in that spot?
22 A. Soldiers.
23 Q. Is that soldiers of the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade?
24 A. Soldiers of the 7th Muslim.
25 Q. What about other brigades?
Page 795
1 A. I don't know.
2 Q. And what was the spot where they were collected together?
3 A. The church at Brajkovici.
4 Q. Were you one of the people collecting these goods?
5 A. No.
6 Q. Did you go into the church in Brajkovici?
7 A. Once.
8 Q. What did you see?
9 A. Some of the thing things that had been collected there.
10 Q. You just described mostly household appliances. What other
11 things, other than household appliances, did you see in the church? And
12 approximately how full was the church of these things?
13 A. Well, there was quite a lot of them. There were quite a lot of
14 them.
15 Q. All right. The other part of the question was: What else
16 besides household appliances did you see there?
17 A. Mostly technical goods.
18 Q. You mentioned household goods and appliances and technical goods.
19 What about vehicles, motor vehicles?
20 A. Some.
21 Q. Where were they and how many were there?
22 A. Mostly they were used for the requirements of the army. I don't
23 know how many.
24 Q. And where were they parked?
25 A. As far as I remember, two or three in front of the church and
Page 796
1 others had been driven off by the soldiers.
2 Q. And how long did your unit remain in Novo Selo/Ovnak area?
3 A. I don't know exactly. Perhaps three days, three or four days.
4 Not more than that.
5 Q. Who was in charge of gathering all these -- all the civilian
6 property that was in the church?
7 A. I don't know. What do you mean by "in charge," "who was in
8 charge"?
9 Q. Who was guarding the church, if anyone?
10 A. The whole settlement was being guarded, Ovnak, Brajkovici.
11 Q. Where did the contents of the church, that is, the civilian
12 property, go from there? I mean, what happened to it all? Who received
13 it?
14 A. Part of it went to the brigade. Whether everything went, I don't
15 know; and who got the goods ultimately, I don't know.
16 Q. Part of it went to the brigade. The brigade, was it then
17 stationed at Bilmiste?
18 A. Yes.
19 Q. Are you saying part of the property that was in the church in
20 Brajkovici was taken back to brigade headquarters in Bilmiste?
21 A. Yes.
22 Q. Where was it stored -- or where was it taken to in brigade
23 headquarters in Bilmiste?
24 A. As far as I remember, in some premises that were designated as a
25 warehouse.
Page 797
1 MR. RE: It's 5.30, Your Honour.
2 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] It is now 5.30. We shall
3 resume at five minutes to 6.00.
4 MR. WITHOPF: [Microphone not activated] Your Honours.
5 --- Recess taken at 5.30 p.m.
6 --- On resuming at 5.54 p.m.
7 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] [Microphone not activated]
8 Before I give the floor to the Prosecution, I would like to know whether
9 in the time that we have left you will be able to finish your line of
10 questioning, or would you wish to continue tomorrow.
11 MR. RE: I'm very hopeful we should be able to continue -- finish
12 tonight, Your Honour.
13 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. So I give you the floor.
14 Please proceed.
15 MR. RE:
16 Q. Witness BA, before the break, you were telling the Trial Chamber
17 about the storing of the civilian property from Ovnak/Susanj area in
18 brigade headquarters in Bilmiste. Yesterday you told the Trial Chamber
19 that the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade headquarters were in an educational
20 facility or a school in Bilmiste. What I want you to do is to draw a
21 diagram for the Trial Chamber of the facility in Bilmiste, please. If
22 you'd just -- I think you said that there were three buildings. Can you
23 please draw the three buildings, a cross-sectional view, if you can.
24 A. [Witness complies]
25 Q. You've drawn three buildings. Can you please put numbers on
Page 798
1 them, 1, 2 -- sorry. First of all, how many floors did each of these
2 buildings have?
3 A. I think three each.
4 Q. Can you please just draw lines on the buildings to indicate the
5 floors, which I think means putting two lines on each building.
6 A. [Marks]
7 Q. The building on the left.
8 THE INTERPRETER: Could the witness repeat his answer, please.
9 MR. RE:
10 Q. Could you please repeat your last answer. The interpreters
11 didn't hear it. So please, again, Witness BA, could you please speak up
12 as loudly as you comfortably can.
13 A. That's the sports hall.
14 Q. All right. Where was the -- well, what I want you to do is to
15 put a "1," "2," and " 3" on each -- above each of these buildings,
16 please, starting from the left.
17 A. [Marks]
18 Q. 1 was the sports hall. Can you please write "sports hall" next
19 to "1."
20 A. [Marks]
21 Q. The building which you have marked number 2 has three floors;
22 building number 3 also has three floors. What was the commander's
23 office? Can you please mark that with a -- an "X."
24 A. [Marks]
25 Q. You've marked it on the second building. Could you please draw
Page 799
1 an arrow from that leading to above the "2" and write in "commander's
2 office," please.
3 A. [Marks]
4 Q. Now, with a circle, can you please mark the places where the
5 goods from Ovnak/Susanj area were stored.
6 A. [Marks]
7 Q. All right. And can you just on the diagram, say in the bottom
8 left-hand corner, put in the "O" and put an "=" and just write in where
9 goods were stored.
10 A. [Marks]
11 Q. Could you please put in an "=" between the "O" and the "M."
12 A. [Marks]
13 Q. You also mentioned earlier some cars. Were cars taken back to
14 the brigade headquarters as well?
15 A. Some.
16 Q. Are you able to mark on that particular diagram where the cars
17 were taken to?
18 A. [Marks]
19 Q. Can you please just write under those six squares you have drawn
20 "cars."
21 A. [Marks]
22 Q. Can you also -- don't write but just point on that diagram to
23 where the entrance to the brigade headquarters was.
24 A. [Marks]
25 Q. All right. Are you indicating that it was around the corner in
Page 800
1 the part we can't see on building number 2?
2 A. Yes.
3 Q. All right. Can you just draw a curved arrow to where you say the
4 entrance was and just write next to it "brigade headquarters entrance."
5 A. [Marks]
6 Q. And what's the approximate distance between those parked cars
7 you've indicated there on the map and the brigade headquarters entrance
8 in metres?
9 A. 20, 25 metres perhaps.
10 Q. All right. Would you just be able to draw a line with an arrow
11 on each end and write "20m" for 20 metres on the arrow. You know, the
12 way to indicate the distance between two points. That is, between the
13 parked cars and the entrance door.
14 A. [Marks]
15 Q. Thank you.
16 MR. RE: So that this can remain public, would it be if okay if
17 the witness could write "BA" on the map, Your Honours. The Prosecution
18 doesn't consider that would identify him.
19 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] So the initials "BA"?
20 Could you initial this drawing, please, below the drawing.
21 MR. RE: And please also mark the date on, which is the 9th of
22 December, please.
23 THE WITNESS: [Marks]
24 MR. RE:
25 Q. What were the top two floors of building 3 used for, Witness BA?
Page 801
1 A. For the accommodation of the 2nd and 3rd Battalion.
2 Q. All right. Could you please do an arrow to each of the two
3 floors and write in "accommodation 2nd Battalion and 3rd Battalion." If
4 you could just do that on the right of building 3.
5 A. [Marks]
6 Q. Could you please write in -- you've written "II and III
7 Battalion." Could you just write in something to indicate that's where
8 they were accommodated. And by "accommodated," do you mean as in
9 billeted?
10 A. Yes.
11 Q. Could you write something in to indicate that's where the
12 soldiers were billeted, please.
13 A. [Marks]
14 Q. What was the top floor of the second building used for, Witness
15 BA?
16 A. [No interpretation]
17 Q. Witness BA, the interpreters didn't catch your last answer. My
18 question was: What was the top floor of the second building used for?
19 Can you just repeat your answer, please, loudly.
20 A. [No interpretation]
21 THE INTERPRETER: Sorry, we can't hear the witness.
22 MR. RE:
23 Q. They can't hear you.
24 A. The units attached to the staff.
25 Q. You mean the corps -- sorry, the brigade command staff?
Page 802
1 A. No. That's not what I mean.
2 Q. Well, what do you mean?
3 A. The logistics platoon, the cooks, part of the artillery, that
4 kind of thing.
5 Q. All right. Can you just please indicate on that map as well,
6 just draw an arrow going out and up, and just put in who was housed
7 there.
8 A. [Marks]
9 Q. And what was building number 1, the sports hall, used for?
10 A. For sports activities, and sometimes it was used for some
11 celebrations.
12 MR. RE: May that diagram be tendered into evidence.
13 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes. Usher, could you show
14 this document to the Defence team, as well as to the accused, please.
15 Madam Registrar, could you give us a number, an exhibit number,
16 please.
17 THE REGISTRAR: This will be Exhibit P14.
18 MR. RE: May the diagram that the witness marked of the area of
19 Novo Selo, Ovnak, Susanj also be tendered into evidence.
20 Do Your Honours wish the witness to mark that so it doesn't get
21 lost along the way, if he puts his initials and the date on it, in case
22 other witnesses at some point mark a similar document?
23 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] I would like the witness to
24 initial this document, to sign by using the initials "BA" and to write
25 the date in, please.
Page 803
1 MR. RE:
2 Q. Witness BA, could you perhaps use the larger black marking pen
3 rather than the smaller one. It's a black-and-white copy. And just make
4 it a little bit larger than the last one.
5 A. [Witness complies]
6 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine.
7 Could you show this document to the Defence again, the document
8 that has just been initialled.
9 Madam Registrar, could you give us an exhibit number, please.
10 THE REGISTRAR: The exhibit number is P15.
11 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The exhibit is therefore P15.
12 Please proceed.
13 MR. RE:
14 Q. Witness BA, I'm going to show you some photographs now that will
15 be shown on the screen in front of you. I'm going to show you four
16 photographs. I'm going to ask you to identify, if you can, each of them.
17 MR. RE: Then I'll ask them to be moved into evidence. And
18 copies are actually on their way.
19 Q. I'm showing you photo 0124-9067. Witness BA, what is that a
20 photograph of?
21 A. Part of Novo Selo and I think Brajkovici.
22 Q. And could you just tell the Trial Chamber for the record where
23 your unit was when it came -- from which direction your unit came into
24 Novo Selo in June 1993.
25 A. From the left-hand side, to the left of the road.
Page 804
1 Q. And can you just describe to the Trial Chamber where your unit
2 went to in Novo Selo on that photograph.
3 A. It came from this side here, and it was there in Novo Selo.
4 Afterwards, I was transferred to the checkpoint here at Ovnak, and I
5 spent three or four days there.
6 Q. Witness BA, we can't see what you're pointing at. Can you just
7 describe where in the photograph you were pointing to by some identifying
8 feature?
9 A. The unit came, as I said, from the direction, from the left here,
10 the left area of the road.
11 Q. You're indicating at the very bottom of the photograph towards
12 the road, which is running on the left side. Where did you move to then?
13 MR. RE: I apologise. My case manager was actually moving it. I
14 thought by some magic you were able to.
15 Q. Can you just describe the area in the middle in which you
16 actually -- the area you actually went to. Just describe it for the
17 court record as you look at the photograph. Where was it? Top, bottom,
18 middle?
19 A. You can't see it on the photograph, the place I went to. It's
20 not shown.
21 Q. All right.
22 MR. RE: Can the witness please be shown the next photograph,
23 which is 0124-9070. That's the ERN.
24 Q. What's this a photograph of?
25 A. This is the peak of Ovnak and Novo Selo, the top.
Page 805
1 Q. The third photo is 0124-9079. What is -- what does that depict?
2 A. I can't find my way around on this photograph, I'm afraid.
3 Q. All right. We'll move to the next one, which is 67 -- sorry,
4 01396760, ERN 01248907. In your evidence before, you mentioned a church
5 in Brajkovici.
6 A. Yes.
7 Q. Do you recognise the church in that photograph?
8 A. Yes.
9 Q. Thank you.
10 MR. RE: Your Honours, I regret to say the copies of these
11 photographs haven't arrived in -- we were trying to get colour copies.
12 They haven't arrived in time. We had ordered them. So could these just
13 be virtually marked, so to speak, the four numbers I've read onto the
14 record. And we will tender, assuming there's no objection, the four
15 photos when they actually get here, either later this afternoon or
16 tomorrow. It shouldn't make any difference, in my submission.
17 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Well, I find it difficult to
18 give a virtual number here, on the basis of photographs which are virtual
19 photographs, because we can only see them on a screen. Tomorrow morning
20 you can tender these photographs into evidence. We'll leave this on
21 standby for the moment, and we shall tender these photographs into
22 evidence tomorrow, unless the Defence feels that these can already be
23 tendered here and now.
24 MR. RE: Except, of course, the third one, which the witness
25 couldn't identify. I don't tender that. It's 1, 2, and 4.
Page 806
1 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] The Defence just had a remark to
2 make with respect to the photograph that wasn't recognised by the
3 witness. But as the Prosecutor has already said he's not tendering that
4 one into evidence, thank you. That would be what I had to say.
5 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. So you will provide
6 these three photographs tomorrow, the beginning of the afternoon, and we
7 shall then give an exhibit number.
8 That said, only three out of the four photographs will be
9 tendered into evidence. So please proceed.
10 MR. RE:
11 Q. I want to take you, Witness BA, to combat operations between the
12 HVO and the ABiH in the municipality and town of Vares in November 1993.
13 I don't understand there to be any dispute between the party that is
14 there was in fact -- there were in fact combat operations at that time,
15 although we have not yet reached agreement on these latter actions.
16 MR. RE: No movement from the Defence.
17 Q. Witness BA, did you participate in combat operations in Vares
18 against the -- sorry, against the HVO in November 1993?
19 A. No, I did not.
20 Q. Was your unit present in Vares in November, early November 1993?
21 A. I wasn't a member of the 7th Muslim at the time.
22 Q. Were you in Vares in early November 1993?
23 A. No.
24 [Prosecution counsel confer]
25 MR. RE:
Page 807
1 Q. Mr. Witness BA, what can you tell the Trial Chamber about what
2 happened in Vares in November 1993?
3 MR. IBRISIMOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honours, Mr. Kubura's
4 Defence team has an objection to make. The witness has already said he
5 wasn't a member of the 7th Muslim Brigade during that period of time and
6 that he wasn't in the region of Vares at all.
7 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes. Before I give the floor
8 back to you, can the witness tell us at what date exactly he left the
9 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade? Because it seems like in November he was no
10 longer a member of this brigade.
11 MR. RE: Before the witness answers that, can I remind Your
12 Honours of the witness's evidence yesterday morning -- yesterday about
13 him being in the brigade 1993, 1994, and 1995.
14 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. Can the witness tell us
15 at what time he -- at what moment he left this brigade.
16 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Yesterday I just mentioned 1992 and
17 1993, when I first testified. I don't remember of what date exactly at
18 the end of 1993 I ceased to be a member of the 7th Muslim Brigade.
19 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] And why did the witness cease
20 to be a member of the 7th Muslim Brigade? Did he leave voluntarily or
21 was he asked to leave? What happened exactly?
22 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] As I was unemployed at the time, I
23 managed to find a job, and that's why I left the brigade, to take up this
24 new job.
25 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Could you tell us exactly when
Page 808
1 this occurred. Was it in July, August, November? What months exactly?
2 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] I think it was soon after the
3 operation at Ovnak. Perhaps a month later, at the most, when I left the
4 brigade. I can't be sure of the exact date.
5 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. I give the floor back to
6 the Prosecution. The witness has just told us that he left the
7 7th Brigade because he had found a job and that, therefore, in the month
8 of November he was not in Vares. And if he had said yesterday -- or said
9 yesterday that he was a member in 1992, 1993, and 1994, he qualifies this
10 and says that he was a member in 1992 and 1993. In any event, he was no
11 longer a member in the month of November.
12 MR. RE: Your Honours, can I just apologise. I wrongly
13 intervened. I've just re-checked the transcript. I shouldn't have been
14 so hasty. I should have just asked Your Honours to hold off for a moment
15 while I checked the transcript. It didn't say 1994 and 1995 and I
16 apologise for my incorrect intervention. It was something that was in my
17 mind.
18 Q. Witness BA, I have another question. If you could just wait a
19 moment.
20 Witness BA, you've told the transcript about property from those
21 villages -- of Susanj, Ovnak, and so on -- being taken back to brigade
22 headquarters and stored in the spot you've indicated on the diagram,
23 which is now P14. What happened to that property when it got back to
24 brigade headquarters?
25 A. As far as I remember, some of the property was divided up among
Page 809
1 the members of the 7th Muslim Brigade. What exactly and how this was
2 done, I don't know.
3 Q. Did you receive any property?
4 A. No, because I left the brigade right after that.
5 Q. Witness BA, you said that it was divided among the members of the
6 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade. As you know, the brigade was composed of
7 officers, ordinary soldiers, commanders and so on. Was it divided -- how
8 was it divided amongst the various components in the brigade?
9 A. I don't know exactly.
10 Q. We spoke yesterday, and you gave some evidence about the
11 Mujahedin having a training camp at Arnauti. What do you know about the
12 Mujahedin having houses in the Central Bosnian area?
13 A. All I know is that they didn't stay in the brigade. So if they
14 came to the brigade, they spent a day or two there and then left.
15 Q. I'm asking you specifically about houses, Witness BA. What do
16 you know about houses in which the Mujahedin stayed in Central Bosnia?
17 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The Defence.
18 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honour, yesterday the
19 witness testified that he knew about the camp at Arnauti, in which he
20 underwent training. As to other questions pertaining to Central Bosnia,
21 he said he had no personal knowledge of that.
22 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The Trial Chamber has noted
23 your comment.
24 Please proceed. The Prosecution, please.
25 MR. RE: Thank you.
Page 810
1 Q. Are you able to answer the question, Witness BA, that is, about
2 houses in which the Mujahedin were staying in Central Bosnia? Do you
3 have any knowledge of it?
4 A. I knew about one house which they purchased and where they lived.
5 Q. And where was that?
6 A. In Zenica.
7 Q. Yesterday you told us that the emir of the brigade was called
8 Emir Karalic. And you also spoke about a break between the Mujahedin and
9 the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade. Were you aware of any dispute between
10 the Mujahedin and Emir Karalic?
11 A. I heard about a dispute, a quarrel, which I was not present at.
12 Q. What did you hear the dispute was about between Emir Karalic and
13 the Mujahedin?
14 A. I don't know exactly.
15 Q. Yesterday you told us that there were several hodza in the
16 brigade. Can you tell us their names.
17 A. You mean the names you want?
18 Q. Yes, please.
19 A. I don't remember their names.
20 Q. What do you know about the Mujahedin -- El Mujahedin unit or
21 detachment within the ABiH 3rd Corps?
22 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The Defence has the floor.
23 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] The witness has already said that
24 he left the 7th Muslim Brigade at the end of June.
25 And the second point: Yesterday, in response to your question,
Page 811
1 he said loud and clear - and you repeated it - that he didn't know much
2 about the structure of the corps and brigades.
3 And third, the witness is being suggested that the Mujahedin was
4 within the frameworks of the 3rd Corps, although that particular fact has
5 not been mentioned or confirmed by anyone thus far. So for those three
6 reasons I consider that these questions do not merit an answer.
7 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] As far as the Defence comment
8 is concerned, what does -- what is the Prosecution's position, in the
9 light of the fact that the witness provided no information yesterday on
10 the -- on the integration of the 7th Muslim Brigade to the 3rd Corps?
11 MR. RE: I'm just asking based upon some thing which is are in
12 his statement and which the witness has told me and other prosecutors in
13 proofing and is not necessarily related to anything my learned friend,
14 Mrs. Residovic, is saying at the moment. There is a purpose for me
15 asking this question based upon his statement, irrespective of whether he
16 could tell us about the formal structure of the 3rd Corps yesterday. The
17 two are completely unrelated. I'm asking him what is his knowledge of
18 the El Mujahed detachment. He may have a different date to that the
19 Defence has in mind. As there's no agreement, it appears, on the date of
20 formation, I should be able to ask this witness was what he knows about
21 the formation, as he was a member of the brigade at a possibly pertinent
22 point during 1993. It's relative and probative, in my submission.
23 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes. At this stage of the
24 proceeding, the witness can answer this question which was put to him
25 concerning this particular unit; did he know about it or did he not.
Page 812
1 I shall ask him the question directly.
2 Questioned by the Court:
3 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Witness, when you were a member
4 of the 7th Brigade, did you know is that another unit called El Mujahedin
5 unit existed?
6 A. As far as I know, that unit never existed, while I myself was a
7 member of the 7th Muslim Brigade.
8 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] This unit, therefore, did not
9 exist at the time you were a member of the 7th Brigade. That, in effect,
10 is what you are telling us.
11 A. Yes.
12 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yesterday you told us that at
13 one stage you had been trained at Arnauti, at a training camp, together
14 with a number of other people who, according to you, were strangers.
15 Which unit did these people belong to? Or were you talking about
16 civilians?
17 A. I don't know which unit they belonged to.
18 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] How much time did you spend at
19 this training camp?
20 A. As far as I remember, about 20 days.
21 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Was this a military training
22 camp or were you being taught how to cook? Could you tell us a little
23 bit, whether you were being taught to shoot, close combat -- were you
24 being taught close combat operations? What were you being taught? Or
25 were you being taught how to sew?
Page 813
1 A. Military training.
2 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. And you spent 20 days
3 with your fellow trainees. You did not talk to them. You did not
4 exchange views or opinions with these people?
5 A. Little.
6 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Therefore you had no contact
7 whatsoever with these people.
8 A. All the contact I had was through the training sessions.
9 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] And you didn't ask them where
10 they came from, what they were doing there, and why they were there,
11 basically?
12 A. I don't know where they came from exactly. I think the initial
13 -- during the initial training, I think they were from Turkey. Mostly
14 the military training was the kind that we needed, so nobody asked many
15 questions. Nobody asked anybody anything, in actual fact. So the object
16 of the training was to learn something about weapons, to get some
17 preparatory training and preparation.
18 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] How many of you were there,
19 then? Were you 10, 20, or 30? How many trainees were there in this
20 camp?
21 A. Perhaps 20, 25, thereabouts.
22 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] And out of these 25, how many
23 were locals of the region, compared with other people who did not come
24 from that region?
25 A. There were about 20 or 25 of us. I don't remember; perhaps 3 or
Page 814
1 4.
2 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Well, the witness tells us that
3 he doesn't know anything about this unit, and the three or four people
4 that were with him are people he was literally not in contact with.
5 Please proceed your line of questions. We have 20 minutes left.
6 MR. RE: Your Honour, there's some clarification. I wasn't
7 actually asking him about the training in 1992 in Arnauti, whatever it's
8 called - I can't remember - I was asking him about the formation of a
9 detachment called El Mujahed sometime in 1993. The two are unrelated.
10 Q. Witness BA, I want to ask you about the accused Amir Kubura over
11 there. Was the accused Amir Kubura based at the educational facility in
12 Bilmiste when you were there?
13 A. I don't know exactly.
14 Q. Did you ever see the accused Amir Kubura at Bilmiste, Witness BA?
15 A. Once or twice.
16 Q. And when was that?
17 A. I don't remember exactly.
18 Q. What was his position when you were there in 1993?
19 A. I didn't understand your question.
20 Q. When you were at Bilmiste in 1993, what was Amir Kubura's
21 position within the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade?
22 A. As to what position, Amir Kubura knows more about that -- or
23 rather, I know from the press or from the -- this trial. I didn't notice
24 the man at all at the time. I just saw him once or twice. I don't know,
25 as I said in my statement.
Page 815
1 Q. Who was the commanding officer of the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade
2 in 1993? You must know that, Witness BA.
3 A. At that time you mean?
4 Q. In 1993, who was the commanding officer of the 7th Muslim
5 Mountain Brigade?
6 A. In 1993, in our brigade, as far as I remember, and as far as I
7 know, it was said that Mr. Amir Kubura was abroad. Now, whether that was
8 the right information, I really can't say.
9 Q. I'm going to ask you about President Izetbegovic. Did he have
10 any relationship with the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade that you were aware
11 of?
12 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes, the Defence has the floor.
13 MR. IBRISIMOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honour, the Defence
14 counsel of Mr. Kubura would like to object. It is quite obvious that
15 Witness BA was an ordinary soldier, and he knows nothing about the
16 relationship of Mr. Izetbegovic and the command staff, commanding
17 officers, and his relationship with the 7th Muslim Brigade. He cannot
18 know that as an ordinary soldier.
19 MR. RE: Well, how can he not know that as an ordinary soldier?
20 He was there. With great respect to my learned friend, I'm asking him
21 what his knowledge was. Either he knows or he doesn't know. And if he
22 does know, he might be able to tell us.
23 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] As far as this issue is
24 concerned, I feel we can ask this question to a soldier, a man in the
25 army, ask him whether the acting president in the state in which he lives
Page 816
1 is someone whom he knows and whether this president - in this particular
2 case, Mr. Izetbegovic - whether he ever saw him. And the question is a
3 very banal one. This does not prejudice anybody in any way. We are just
4 asking the witness whether the name Izetbegovic is a name which he has
5 heard and whether he ever met the president.
6 MR. RE: My question actually, Your Honour, is: Are you aware of
7 any relationship between the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade and
8 President Izetbegovic? And again, I'm asking it, as the Defence knows,
9 based on the witness's statement.
10 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] All I know is that
11 President Izetbegovic visited on several occasions the 7th Muslim
12 Brigade, just as he visited the corps. He would tour all the units.
13 Now, if you can extract something from that kind of relationship, I don't
14 know.
15 MR. RE:
16 Q. I want to ask you about discipline within the 7th Muslim Mountain
17 Brigade. And obviously I'm only asking you as an ordinary soldier what
18 you knew about discipline within the brigade, to head off any possible
19 objections to this line of questioning. The 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade,
20 you've told us, had military police. What did the military police do and
21 were they used to enforce discipline and how did they do so? Can you
22 please give me an answer to that.
23 A. Discipline in the 7th Muslim Brigade was set at the start. When
24 you came to the 7th Muslim, there was no mistreatment of any kind. You
25 just lived that way, according to Muslim customs, and the conduct of each
Page 817
1 and every member of the Muslim Brigade was linked to that.
2 Q. Were you aware of any soldiers, apart from the instances you
3 described yesterday of soldiers being detained at the correctional
4 facility for theft and also for alcohol, drinking alcohol, were you aware
5 of any soldiers in the 7th Muslim Mountain Brigade being prosecuted for
6 criminal offences such as those against the Geneva Conventions and the
7 Laws of War you told us that you were told about yesterday, in your time
8 at the brigade?
9 A. I don't know.
10 MR. RE: That completes the examination-in-chief.
11 Your Honours, I have an application I wish to make in the absence
12 of the witness in relation to his evidence.
13 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine.
14 I must tell the witness that he needs to come back tomorrow at
15 quarter past 2.00. I would kindly ask him to be here at 2.00, an
16 tomorrow the Defence counsels of the two accused will ask him questions.
17 Can the Defence team tell us approximately how much time they
18 will need tomorrow?
19 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honours, the
20 cross-examination by General Hadzihasanovic's Defence will not be
21 lengthy, but I just have to consult today's testimony, the transcript of
22 it, and I assume that it might take half an hour.
23 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. Thank you very much.
24 Mr. Kubura's counsel now, you have the floor.
25 MR. IBRISIMOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honours, about the same
Page 818
1 time for the Kubura Defence team.
2 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. So we'll need an hour.
3 And the Prosecution may wish to re-examine the witness. The
4 Trial Chamber may also wish to ask the witness a number of questions.
5 So, Witness, you shall now be leaving the courtroom and you shall
6 be returning here at 2.00, 2.00 p.m. And I believe that at around 4.00
7 you will be able to return home and the flight has been organised for
8 you. So see you again tomorrow.
9 [The witness stands down]
10 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] The Prosecution, you have the
11 floor.
12 MR. RE: Thank you, Your Honours. The Prosecution has -- I have
13 an application which we reluctantly make, and I'm sure Your Honours have
14 some inkling of what I'm about to say.
15 Your Honours, the Prosecution -- the Prosecution provided Your
16 Honours with a copy of the witness's statement some weeks ago for Your
17 Honours' pre-trial-preparation purposes. Your Honours this morning
18 reminded the witness of his rights under Rule 89(E) in relation to
19 self-incrimination. The witness's testimony in some significant regards
20 has been at odds with the -- with both the statement the witness provided
21 to the Prosecution, which was signed last year, and in two proofing
22 sessions we had on Sunday and Monday. The Prosecution confirmed with the
23 witness on both Sunday and Monday that the information contained in his
24 statement was in fact correct. The Prosecution, pursuant to Your
25 Honours' ruling last week, provided the witness with a copy of his
Page 819
1 statement to take home and make any changes that he felt were necessary
2 in B/C/S -- in his own language -- to the statement. The witness the
3 next day came back and had a proofing session, which he made several
4 minor corrections to the statement. He didn't write on the statement,
5 but he marked on the edges of the statement those bits of the statement
6 which he considered to be slightly incorrect. One, for example, was a
7 translation of "Blue Falcons," which was translated as "blue hawks" into
8 Bosnian, which is why it was in fact corrected.
9 I attempted to lead evidence from the witness in accordance with
10 his statement, given to the Prosecution, and what he had told me and an
11 investigator and two different translators on Sunday and Monday of this
12 week which, as far as the Prosecution was concerned up until at least
13 midday, when we bid him farewell yesterday, was in fact a correct version
14 of the evidence he was going to give.
15 The witness has departed from his evidence -- from his statement
16 and the instructions he gave the Prosecution yesterday in several
17 significant, very significant features. Your Honours will of course
18 appreciate from the summary the most significant is the witness told the
19 Prosecution yesterday and in fact signed a statement to the effect that
20 he had directly witnessed the death of Zvonko Rajic and that Serif
21 Patkovic, the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, his commanding
22 officer, had in fact shot Zvonko Rajic.
23 The witness has made a number of other, in evidence -- has also
24 substantially changed other parts of his evidence. There are quite a
25 few, and I don't have the time at the moment to go right through them.
Page 820
1 The application is this, Your Honour: The Prosecution seeks the
2 Trial Chamber's leave to cross-examine the witness in relation to
3 inconsistencies between the statement he provided and the evidence he has
4 given. The Prosecution isn't in a position tonight to outline each and
5 every one of those inconsistencies, because we have to go back and look
6 at the transcript and compare it to the relevant portions of his
7 statement and his evidence.
8 The Prosecution very reluctantly makes this application because
9 we were hoping that the witness would give evidence that was truthful in
10 all respects, and of course the Prosecution is very mindful of the way
11 Your Honours have approached it and the fact that the witness has given
12 evidence on his oath about various things.
13 However, there is a precedent -- there are several precedents in
14 the Tribunal for allowing the Prosecution to treat a witness as adverse
15 or hostile to the common-law method of dealing with the witness of a
16 party, and I can refer Your Honours directly to two Trial Chamber
17 rulings; one of Trial Chamber I and one of Trial Chamber II. The first
18 one is in the Brdjanin and Talic trial, a ruling of His Honour Judge
19 Agius on the 23rd of January, 2002 at page 677 of the transcript, where
20 the Trial Chamber ruled on the application of the Prosecution that the --
21 a party producing a witness could ask the permission of the Trial Chamber
22 to treat that witness as adverse or hostile - I'm just paraphrasing - and
23 you would be able to put to him prior out-of-court statements and
24 cross-examine him as to what he said before and what he said in court and
25 to try and elicit the truthful version, which one is true.
Page 821
1 The second one was in relation to a motion the Prosecution filed
2 in October this year. That was on the 20th of October this -- sorry, the
3 16th of October in the case of Blagojevic and Jokic. That was Trial
4 Chamber I. And the motion is headed "Prosecution's motion for leave to
5 ask leading questions of adverse witnesses if necessary."
6 His Honour Judge Liu ruled on the motion on the 20th of October
7 2003, granting the Prosecution motion. In granting the Prosecution
8 motion, the -- His Honour Judge Liu said - and this is at page 3102 and
9 3103 of the transcript - "As a practice all proceedings should be
10 conducted in accordance with the normal way, that is, try to avoid the
11 leading questions by examination-in-chief. But anyway, if the
12 Prosecution finds that there is any inconsistency with the previous
13 statement of the witness -- or sorry, or the witness tries to avoid the
14 -- to answer the questions, the Prosecution should refer to matter to the
15 Chamber and the Chamber will decide whether to allow this witness to
16 answer that question. And at some occasions we might go to the private
17 sessions to hear the answer of that witness. By saying so, the motion of
18 the Prosecution is granted."
19 I note the time, Your Honours. It's one minute to 7.00. This
20 is a fairly important issue in respect of this witness's evidence and the
21 summary we provided. Could I ask Your Honours to allow me to complete
22 addressing you on this point tomorrow morning, or if the legal officer
23 from Chambers would like you to provide us with anything in writing or
24 any decisions -- any other decisions we can find. We haven't been able
25 to find anything from the Appeals Chamber, but we have looked.
Page 822
1 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Fine. The question you are
2 raising before the Trial Chamber is to understand whether the Trial
3 Chamber can authorise you to question the witness, given the fact that
4 the witness has made statements which are contrary to what he has said
5 before.
6 This is an important case, and these questions can only be put if
7 you file a request in writing so that the Defence team can state its
8 position. We shall render a decision pursuant to the request, and in the
9 event that you request the witness again. In that case, the witness has
10 to be brought back again.
11 But I would like to remind you Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure
12 and Evidence means that the Prosecutor can question witnesses, but this
13 Rule stipulates that there is a clear distinction between the witnesses,
14 the victims, and the suspects. Now, as far as the suspects are concerned,
15 when this examination is being conducted you should stipulate to the
16 witness that he or she has a number of rights so that the person has the
17 right to remain silent, has the right to be defended by a counsel, and
18 when the suspect wishes to remain silent, then the procedure is quite
19 special.
20 Here, as regards Witness BA, we face a particular situation.
21 This witness is not suspect. He's being examined and questioned as a
22 simple witness. He makes statements which are made in -- as the
23 procedure unfolds, which are less stringent than those mentioned in
24 Article 49. It so happens that his answers do not tally with what he has
25 said previously. So as you know, these are oral proceedings; what counts
Page 823
1 is what the witnesses actually tell us when they are being called and
2 when they answer the questions put to them by the Prosecution and when
3 they answer the questions put to them by the Defence teams. According to
4 the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, nothing seems to prevent a simple
5 witness, an ordinary witness, to make a statement in a given period of
6 time and to adopt a different position at a different time. What counts
7 is what he tells us under oath.
8 Let me remind you that pursuant to Rule 39 he does not make the
9 solemn declaration -- he is not made to make a solemn declaration. The
10 conditions of this questioning is something which is out of the control
11 of the Trial Chamber, and the potential rights of the witness is not
12 something that he is aware of, even though he were in the position to be
13 a suspect witness, he may turn around and say, "I have nothing to say."
14 And you raise, therefore, an important question which deserves a request
15 in writing and a response by the Defence.
16 On two occasions you say that this Tribunal was -- ruled on these
17 two points, and we can only answer your question in writing. If we feel
18 that the witness can be questioned again, then we'll have ample time to
19 bring -- to call the witness back again.
20 As things stand today, we ask you to file a request in writing in
21 which you are asked to spell out the most important points and then we
22 will proceed with the cross-examination.
23 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Mr. President, just one more
24 minute. Since the Prosecutor has said that he has completed the
25 examination-in-chief of the witness, I should like to ask the Trial
Page 824
1 Chamber to confirm that we start the cross-examination of this witness
2 tomorrow, and after that we shall decide on the proposals made by the
3 Prosecution. Have I understood you correctly?
4 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Yes, quite.
5 MS. RESIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Thank you.
6 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Mr. Kubura's Defence team,
7 anything to add?
8 MR. IBRISIMOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honours, that is the
9 identical position of the Kubura Defence as well.
10 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] Tomorrow --
11 MR. RE: Your Honour, I was in error. I apologise. I was in
12 error when I said I completed my examination-in-chief. Whey meant to say
13 was subject to Your Honours' ruling on that point.
14 The Prosecution does not consider its examination-in-chief
15 finished until that important point is resolved. And as Your Honour
16 quite rightly says, it's something on we should file written submissions
17 and it should be responded to.
18 So could I propose a practical solution, and that the Prosecution
19 be allowed not to close its case with that witness for the moment,
20 because, as I've said, it's a very important issue and there are other
21 Trial Chamber decisions on this point.
22 We have other witnesses here at the moment waiting to give
23 evidence. They've been brought here at Tribunal expense. Could Witness
24 BA be allowed to return home and -- Your Honours, we will file something
25 fairly soon in relation to that. We obviously have to go through the
Page 825
1 evidence and the statements and compare the two and put proper reasons in
2 writing -- allow him to go home and allow the Prosecution to call the
3 other two witnesses tomorrow?
4 The reason I say this is because it may impact upon the
5 cross-examination of the Defence. If we call other evidence in relation
6 to the matters I outlined, it may have some impact on the way the Defence
7 cross-examines Witness BA. So my -- the Prosecution proposes that we
8 adjourn BA's evidence and continue with other witnesses.
9 JUDGE ANTONETTI: [Interpretation] You raise another question.
10 You ask us to interrupt the examination-in-chief so that we can answer
11 your question in writing, which makes the witness situation rather
12 difficult. He would then need to go home, could -- might find it
13 difficult in such a situation, whereas he is here now.
14 Also, the Trial Chamber, if seized with this matter, early
15 tomorrow morning can render a decision in writing. But the difficulty
16 arises because the Defence must respond in writing and the Defence will
17 undoubtedly not be ready. Given that you have all night to prepare your
18 submission in writing, tomorrow morning we can be seized with this
19 matter, but the Defence team will not be able to respond because the
20 hearing resumes tomorrow at quarter past 2.00.
21 So if you feel that the examination-in-chief is completed and
22 that the Defence team can proceed with its cross-examination, I think it
23 would be better that you call the witness back afterwards. But as things
24 stand today, we cannot ask the witness to go home now and you will come
25 back in a few months' time because, as regards their testimony, I think
Page 826
1 we will not be quite sure about the way in which this testimony was
2 conducted. He is testifying today and is not under any pressure
3 whatsoever.
4 This is what I suggest, which I think is the wisest solution,
5 which is very much in line with the Rules of this Tribunal: I think we
6 should proceed with the cross-examination tomorrow. You can ask him
7 further questions tomorrow. And Prosecution, you can re-examine the
8 witness if you so wish. And in that case, you can file your submission
9 and the witness can be re-examined at a later stage. We find ourself in
10 the situation where a witness is not suspect; he has made a number of
11 statements that have been taken in which he was not -- it was not made
12 known to him that he had any kind of rights. He was not asked to make
13 these statements under oath. And today the witness is taking up a
14 position which is not in line with what the Prosecution expected. So as
15 you know, we have different -- witnesses come and go. And what is
16 important to us and what he says under oath. He has said a number of
17 things today under oath.
18 So therefore, we shall resume tomorrow at quarter past 2.00. You
19 can, of course, file your written submission and inform the Defence about
20 this and tell them what this submission contains so that they -- the
21 Defence can respond.
22 The court stands adjourned. We shall resume tomorrow at quarter
23 past 2.00.
24 --- Whereupon the hearing adjourned at 7.10 p.m.,
25 to be resumed on Wednesday, the 10th day of
Page 827
1 December, 2003, at 2.15 p.m.
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