Page 5797
1 Tuesday, 9 July 2002
2 [Open session]
3 [The accused entered court]
4 --- Upon commencing at 10.07 a.m.
5 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Good morning, everybody. Could we please hear
6 the case.
7 THE REGISTRAR: Yes, Your Honour. This is the case number, Case
8 Number IT-97-24-T, the Prosecutor versus Milomir Stakic.
9 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. And may we have the appearances.
10 MR. KOUMJIAN: Good morning, Your Honours. Nicholas Koumjian with
11 Ruth Karper for the Office of the Prosecutor.
12 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you.
13 MR. LUKIC: Good morning, Your Honours. Branko Lukic for the
14 Defence.
15 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. As far as I have heard, we have no
16 witness today. We have to concentrate on other issues. This is already
17 the second time that we don't have a witness. As it states in the United
18 States, isn't it, we have a rule of three strikes out. I hope that we'll,
19 in future, not face the same situation again and always a witness is ready
20 and prepared. But how does the OTP want to proceed?
21 MR. KOUMJIAN: Your Honour, we have the radio tape that Your
22 Honour asked be played. We would like to play that first. We also have a
23 group of documents, I think about 22 additional documents we would like to
24 offer into evidence some time today. And just to explain to Your Honour
25 or just to alert Your Honours and the Defence, we're having a lot of
Page 5798
1 problems this month with witnesses. Two of the witnesses we had hoped to
2 call have indicated that they refuse to come. One we can just no longer
3 contact. They don't answer the phone. The other has indicated medical
4 problems and will not come. We are trying to get other witnesses to fill
5 those holes. It's difficult because as we come towards the end of the
6 case, we have fewer witnesses left to ask to change their schedule. Many
7 of them cannot do that. Many of the remaining witnesses are experts whose
8 reports are not completed or not disclosed yet. One of the things we are
9 considering is because of these two witnesses dropping out, we are
10 considering filling the hole left from the lack of their testimony with
11 either calling a witness who had earlier been listed as 92 bis or a
12 witness that we had earlier decided did not contribute enough to call to
13 the case, but that witness had been here and we did not call earlier. We
14 haven't made a decision or actually contacted those witnesses yet. And we
15 would have to then be asking the Court also for permission to move a
16 witness back from 92 bis to live, on the basis that the witness who was
17 going to testify live -- testify live about those events is no longer
18 coming.
19 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: May I ask the parties when there are such
20 problems, to contact the Chamber directly that we can find a solution. As
21 it was indicated earlier, we are aware that there are elections in the
22 near future, but nevertheless, on a daily basis, we have indeed to find
23 out if the interest of justice demands that we hear the one or other
24 witness in the area. And the Judges are prepared; it's a question of
25 finding out if the security situation so allows or not. And if or not
Page 5799
1 it's appropriate to go there. Please let us know what is necessary. On
2 the other hand, when we have once decided that certain evidence can be
3 introduced via 92 bis, we shouldn't, just in order to fill gaps and to use
4 time, come back to hear a witness viva voce. I don't think that makes
5 much sense. But we have discussed this in concreto on the basis of a
6 concrete witness.
7 MR. KOUMJIAN: Your Honour, at this time we would like to play the
8 audiotape that had the 65 ter number 440 and I believe it has the S number
9 of 91 [Realtime transcript read in error "92"]. And the transcripts, I
10 believe, are already distributed.
11 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Yes.
12 MR. KOUMJIAN: The tape itself, perhaps, should be given a number.
13 I think the previous numbers that we gave to the transcripts were 91 --
14 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Shouldn't it be, yes, the same number?
15 MR. KOUMJIAN: So it just be 91 without a letter, or 91C? I
16 thought we were leaving that for French translations.
17 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: I think it should be the famous dash version,
18 and let's have it. Is it 92?
19 MR. KOUMJIAN: I believe it's 91.
20 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: 91, right. Because I could read on the
21 transcript 92. 91, that's right. We have already 91A and 91B. It's in
22 B/C/S?
23 MR. KOUMJIAN: Yes.
24 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: So let's call it 91B-1.
25 MR. KOUMJIAN: We have additional copies of the English
Page 5800
1 translation if that's needed, and the B/C/S.
2 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: I wonder, if it's possible to hear a video, and
3 at the same time hear the translation? But let's try it. Do you have any
4 experience with this as regards the speed of hearing such a tape?
5 Therefore, my suggestion would be let's hear it step by step, for example,
6 if I can see here, it starts with Simo Miskovic. Why shouldn't we hear
7 the first portion, the original voice of Mr. Miskovic, and then later on
8 just hear the English translation before us, and then it's, of course, the
9 possibility for both the Defence and the accused himself to give the one
10 or other hint if the one or other believes that the translation may be
11 incorrect or misleading. But to give us an impression, we should start
12 hearing the audiotape until the end of the speech of Mr. Miskovic.
13 [Audiotape played]
14 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: May we stop here at the end of this page. Thank
15 you. May we then hear the English translation of the first page from
16 B/C/S please.
17 THE INTERPRETER: [As read] When the first T84 tank entered the
18 barracks compound, I remember the joy and delight on both sides. That's
19 the course we had charted to prepare people for the defence, and that is
20 how we generally prepared for the defence in this region. I would also
21 like to emphasise something which is typical of Prijedor. We have not had
22 a single paramilitary or sabotage action in this region, and still the job
23 was done. Although those from Sanski Most, Novi, Bosanska Dubica, and
24 Dvor na Uni and other places offered to help, I did not allow that. After
25 the establishment of the -- that is to say, we established an HQ here and
Page 5801
1 linked up the units with battalion commanders and all the rest, so we were
2 prepared for a possible showdown in this region. You are well aware of
3 the events that ensued. However, as the president of the party and the
4 chairman of the Crisis Staff, at the moment, my plan was that the takeover
5 should be done on a nonworking day, Saturday or Sunday, in order to avoid
6 conflict and bloodshed in this region. However, some other unexpected
7 events prevented this. The telex from Jerko Doko was captured which
8 explicitly ordered attacks on barracks, military facilities, police, the
9 confiscation of artillery pieces, et cetera. "Immediately now," it read.
10 It was already the 29th. I was at the meeting at that moment with Mr.
11 Cehajic and Mirza Mujadzic at the SUP, that is to say, the Prijedor MUP.
12 As soon as I finished there, when I learned about the telex, I went up to
13 the barracks where Kuruzovic, Mico Kovacevic, and Stakic, Simo Jankovic,
14 Cadzo and others were. And from the military side, there were Arsic and
15 Zeka and the deputy Evic. During the conversation which was then held, I
16 remember well Colonel Arsic, who then encouraged us. We were dealing with
17 something uncertain, and thought that everything was supposed to be done
18 perfectly and function excellently, because we did not have any
19 experience. As a warrior who had already gone through Slavonija, he
20 encouraged us by saying that not everything was that bad and that we
21 should not have any problems and had good prospects of succeeding, since
22 all the tasks in the military and police sectors had been accomplished.
23 He said that they were not going to be any problems. He suggested that
24 the best thing would be to do that -- to do that on the following day,
25 since it was a working day. I remember when he decidedly asked me: "Who
Page 5802
1 would you seize power from Saturday or Sunday, Simo? These are not
2 working days. There's no one to seize power from." I took it jokingly
3 then, but later I fully realised that his remark was right to the point.
4 Having analysed everything in detail, and after everyone had clarified
5 their stands, we realise that we were prepared. Then I scheduled a
6 meeting of the Crisis Staff for 2.00 a.m. and ordered Mr. Kuruzovic and
7 Simo Drljaca to do the job with the army, as we had agreed at the said
8 meeting, and that they were going to submit the report by 2.00 a.m. We
9 acted in accordance with this agreement and in the meantime, when I went
10 home, Arsic and Zeljaja called me, informing me that Mirza appeared and
11 wanted to talk and that it would be good if we all met. Of course, I
12 arrived immediately. Later, during the conversation with Mr. Mujadzic, we
13 agreed to go out for dinner that night, and Mirza proposed that we go to
14 the Luna restaurant in Gomjenica, and I responded that that was not okay
15 since we were after all local public figures.
16 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. May we then hear the end of this
17 clip of Mr. Miskovic in B/C/S.
18 [Audiotape played]
19 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Please -- could you please stop the B/C/S
20 version. Thank you. We were already with the first sentence of the
21 reporter. Now, the English contribution of Mr. Miskovic, please, until
22 the end.
23 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover] And that we should be seen together
24 downtown. And so, I proposed another venue, Evropa, but Mirza was not in
25 the mood to go to Evropa, and then I insisted that we go to the Novi
Page 5803
1 Hotel, and so we went to the Novi Hotel. Since I had some business to
2 finish at home, I went home. And later, we, of course, went -- I saw that
3 the plan had been changed in the meantime, and that they were not at the
4 Novi Hotel. They were in the Europe restaurant. We stayed in the Europe
5 and had dinner until around 11.00 p.m., and since I owned a cafe in the
6 Mrakovica cinema, in the vicinity, after the dinner and the conversation
7 we had -- I went to the cafe, and while I was there, until 40 past
8 midnight or quarter to 1.00 past midnight, about five or six people came
9 to the door and checked whether I was inside. They were probably scanning
10 the situation and checking if anything was going to happen that night.
11 The citizens remember well the rumours saying that they were going
12 to slay people any night. Chaos was being created, and people were
13 panic-stricken. Since they saw that there were many customers in the bar,
14 and that I was behaving normally, they thought it was just another false
15 alarm. At 2.00 a.m., I attended the session of the Crisis Staff when the
16 reports were submitted that it was -- and it was decided by the Crisis
17 Staff that the takeover would commence at 4.00 a.m. And that's how it
18 started. It all went smooth. However, my main concern, like everyone
19 else's, was the fact that nothing had been reported from the MUP yet. All
20 the more so, since there were mixed patrols down there, and armed men,
21 professionals, if you will, and I was afraid shooting might start and
22 someone might get injured or killed, God forbid.
23 When I received information that no harm had been done, I felt
24 relieved, like everyone else, and then everything continued the way it
25 did. That was the most important part that has to be told. I've already
Page 5804
1 mentioned in the introductory part that we had already established
2 authority in the assembly, and all our representatives of the SDS were
3 tasked to be at their offices at 6.00 a.m. There were only five or six
4 people who were not allowed to enter the municipal building, while all the
5 rest functioned normally. That was yet another proof that the middle
6 letter D, democratic, in the name of our party really meant something.
7 Our intention was to break the permanent blockade with regard to the
8 division of power and eliminate the possibility of surprise and
9 intentional creation of chaos in this region. We had made a promise that
10 these people would not be fooled and outsmarted for a third time in a row
11 in history, and that's how we proceeded the way we did. I have no more to
12 say.
13 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: We already had the next sentence of the
14 reporter. Could you please also read this sentence.
15 THE INTERPRETER: Reporter: Dear listeners, this was Mr. Simo
16 Drljaca who spoke in detail about the preparations and the seizure of
17 power. I have to say right away that here...
18 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. Question for the OTP, regarding the
19 burden of proof, what do you believe was it the voice of -- question is
20 not of belief here, how can you prove that the voice we heard one of
21 Mr. Miskovic --
22 THE INTERPRETER: Microphone, Your Honour, please.
23 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: The voice of Mr. Miskovic as we can see it on
24 the English translation, or is it true that what the reporter now says
25 that we heard Mr. Drljaca.
Page 5805
1 MR. KOUMJIAN: I think if Your Honour reads the rest of this
2 paragraph it's obvious that was a slip of the tongue, because the next
3 sentence is "I have here also Mr. Drljaca and Mr. Kuruzovic who are going
4 to comment upon these events from the point of view of the police and the
5 army." And then it goes on to say: "Since Mr. Drljaca, Simo Miskovic
6 said that the Crisis Staff concluded that it had been done and acted
7 accordingly," it again refers to Mr. Miskovic. But the statements of the
8 speaker that we heard first clearly indicate that it's Mr. Miskovic.
9 First, Mr. Mujadzic testified that, in fact, he indeed did have dinner
10 with Mr. Miskovic. Further, the speaker identifies himself as the
11 president of the SDS party. We know from the documents presented that
12 that was Simo Miskovic. He also identifies himself as the president of the
13 Crisis Staff at that time. And the evidence that has been presented so
14 far and will be perhaps even clarified further later is that the Crisis
15 Staff was first set up an intraparty Crisis Staff was set up on the orders
16 of the republic level, and that would have as the president, the president
17 of the party, Mr. Miskovic. After the takeover, the Crisis Staff head was
18 the president of the party, after it took on the prerogatives of a
19 government. So I think the context is extremely clear that the president
20 of the party, the president of the then-existing pretakeover Crisis Staff
21 is Mr. Miskovic, and he, in fact, is the person who had dinner with Mr.
22 Mujadzic, who did not have dinner with Mr. Drljaca.
23 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Right. The problem is only that unfortunately,
24 the English translation we have before us starts at another portion. If
25 we compare it with the B/C/S we have before us, in B/C/S, you can't read
Page 5806
1 the first sentence how it all happened and the name before. It doesn't
2 start with a name in B/C/S. And if you could please, additionally, give
3 us a hint when was this tape taken? We know it's about 1803 or 1804
4 hours, but not the day when it was taken.
5 MR. KOUMJIAN: I don't know if I would be able to tell Your
6 Honours that. This was a tape that was seized. I think at one point -- I
7 have to through this again, but I think at one point they indicate that
8 this is the anniversary of the takeover several years later. A note on one
9 of my documents indicates 1995, so it would be the April 29th or April
10 30th of 1995. But it's definitely clear from the context that it's
11 talking about the takeover several years later.
12 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: That's right. But of course, it would be of
13 interest which year it indeed was.
14 MR. KOUMJIAN: I can tell you it was seized in 1997. So it was
15 before that.
16 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Somewhere between 1992 and 1997. Okay.
17 MR. KOUMJIAN: At one point, if you look on page 3728, the last
18 four digits of the --
19 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: I mentioned this, it's 18.03 or 18.04.
20 MR. KOUMJIAN: What I'm looking at is on page 3728. It indicates
21 from the reporter: "This is a good occasion to make a parallel at the end
22 of our conversation and compare the SDS then in April 1992 and now in
23 April 1995."
24 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Okay. Thank you for this clarification. Having
25 this background, we can continue, and let's hear the next portion until
Page 5807
1 the end of the contribution of Mr. Kuruzovic.
2 [Audiotape played]
3 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. May we please stop. May we hear now
4 the English and French version.
5 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover] Reporter: Dear listeners, this was
6 Mr. Simo Drljaca who spoke in detail about the preparations and the
7 seizure of power. I have to say right away that here, with us, are also
8 Mr. Drljaca and Mr. Kuruzovic who are going to comment on these events
9 from the point of view of the police and the former Serbian Army which was
10 then called the TO staff of the Serbian Army.
11 They are going to talk about how it looked from their
12 perspective, since Mr. Simo Drljaca, Simo Miskovic said that the Crisis
13 Staff concluded that it had to be done and acted accordingly.
14 Music.
15 Reporter: It is three or four minutes past 6.00, that is, if the
16 clock is showing the correct time here in the Crvena Sala of the Express
17 Restaurant of the Ljubija Ironworks. In this broadcast we remember April
18 1992, the time when on the night of the 29th, the decision was reached
19 that the SDS, that is, the people from the SDS should take all the
20 prominent positions and assume all the vital functions in the territory of
21 Prijedor Municipality. One of the men who actually participated in all
22 these decisions and activities taken on the night of the 29th was
23 Mr. Slobodan Kuruzovic, the former commander of the TO of the town of
24 Prijedor who we would like to, first of all, welcome. Mr. Slobodan
25 Kuruzovic, this is the right moment to remember once again, after
Page 5808
1 Mr. Simo Miskovic, the night of the 29th and also to stretch our memory a
2 little bit further into the past and recall some of the times that had
3 preceded these events.
4 Slobodan Kuruzovic: As regards the political assessment of the
5 situation, Simo and Dusan Kurnoga, the present -- the current president of
6 the municipality have already covered it and said what had to be said. I
7 would like to focus on the military aspect, and I would like to relate the
8 situation chronologically, in a manner of speaking, and explain what
9 happened and how it happened. Sometime around noon, this infamous Jerko
10 Doko from Sarajevo sent this official dispatch, and we Serbs should
11 perhaps be grateful to him because of that. Otherwise, we would have
12 hesitated even more, which would have been extremely difficult to do
13 since, as Dusan Kurnoga correctly pointed out, each and every one of us
14 placed our families in jeopardy, since we had to do something which had
15 never been done before, and that is to seize power.
16 The situation was pretty clear, as explain as a pike staff, as
17 our people say. It was clear what they were up to and what they were
18 going to do to us. We knew exactly their location, how they were armed,
19 where, and how they were trained in Kozarac, up there in Benkovac,
20 Hambarine, and Puharska. We knew who had brought the weapons and how they
21 were organised. We knew everything. It was in the air. As Simo said
22 earlier, this Jerko Doko helped us by sending us this dispatch, and they
23 thought that the Serbs would never get hold of that dispatch since the
24 Muslims were in power. But they were wrong. Within 15 minutes, the
25 dispatch was in my hands. I read it, and then we sat down and agreed on
Page 5809
1 how we should proceed. As Simo said, at 5.00 p.m., we went up there to
2 the barracks to discuss our military tactics and decide when and what was
3 to be done. Dr. Stakic, former president of the municipality, myself,
4 Drljaca, Jankovic, and Cadzo, Miskovic as the chairman of the SDS, and
5 Lieutenant-Colonel Arsic were there. Arsic then held the rank of
6 Lieutenant-Colonel and was the commander of the barracks and the commander
7 of the 43rd Brigade. This group of people discussed this until nearly
8 7.00, and Arso insisted to decide that the moment was right and that it
9 had to be done right away with no special preparations since we had had
10 enough force at our disposal to prevent a massacre from occurring in the
11 town. In that case, the consequences would have been unforeseeable.
12 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. We have now access to the original
13 tape. And if there should be any problems as regards authenticity, the
14 party may object. But in principle, I believe we can proceed now as
15 follows: That we hear on one channel the tape in B/C/S, and on the other
16 channel in English to be read out the text before us, and the French. I
17 know very well it's not possible to do it simultaneously or not even
18 parallelly, but it doesn't matter. It's just to give access to the
19 content of this document in the three languages that are needed in this
20 case. And let's try to proceed this way, if it's technically possible.
21 MR. KOUMJIAN: Just a suggestion, perhaps the tape could be
22 stopped after every approximately five minutes and the booth can wait for
23 the interpreters to catch up.
24 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: I think we should be aware that it's nearly
25 impossible to catch up or to read or translate even parallelly. So no
Page 5810
1 doubt, B/C/S will be finished first, then English, then French. But it
2 doesn't matter. I can't see any other solution. Let's try it this way.
3 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover] Reporter, before the 29th and 30th
4 of April 1992, Serbian people tried in every conceivable way to preserve
5 peace, not only in the Municipality of Prijedor, but wider in the
6 territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina by offering to the SDA various
7 proposals for an agreement. What we are interested in here and what our
8 listeners would like to hear is if you are depict the atmosphere in that
9 room where you were making this important decision between let's say 1400
10 or 1500 and 1700 hours.
11 Kuruzovic: It is difficult is to describe that. A moment ago, I
12 wanted to say something in this respect. It was an uneasy situation to do
13 something like this. It was obvious that we held no power, either in
14 Prijedor or at the republican level. It was such a big town, and so many
15 people who were not in harmony with us, and the political problems
16 concerning the division of power and all other issues were dragging on for
17 a year and a half, and the situation was very complicated. However, the
18 decision was made, and we agreed, that the takeover should be carried out
19 by the police, who together with the Croats and Muslims wore those blue
20 uniforms, trying to maintain law and order in the town, and we decided
21 that they should do it down here in the town whereas that the military
22 aspect, which was under my authority, should be taken care by us. In
23 other words, that this takeover should be secured by the armed Serbs.
24 Allow me to put things in chronological perspective. After that
25 agreement, sometime around 1900 hours, Captain Bojic, Captain Savic,
Page 5811
1 myself and the late Major Karlica sat down and drew up a plan. We had
2 everything in front of us, the whole town and the combat disposition of
3 the forces. It is no secret any more. We knew exactly where they had
4 their people and units. They even had arms, et cetera. At 2100 hours, of
5 course, it was the 29th April, 1992, I summoned all commanders of the
6 regional staffs in our town, both from urban and suburban areas,
7 settlements, and villages. They came to that building of the Slovenian
8 company in the field in Cirkin Polje, where later the HQ of the Serbian TO
9 staff was established and whose commander I was. I had been officially
10 appointed by the Serbian Municipal Assembly and we agreed on how to
11 proceed and the mobilisation was ordered to be carried out at 0200 hours
12 a.m. All armed Serbs in the settlements, suburban areas, and villages
13 were supposed to take their positions at the given moment. We agreed on
14 the manner how it should be done. They had to be ready to enter the town
15 strictly upon my order at 4.00 a.m., if need be. And that's what
16 happened. In the meantime, Simo, Dule Jankovic, Cadzo, and many others
17 such as Marko Djenadija, Jakovljevic, Pop Mudrinic and others from the
18 police, who need not to be mentioned now, but who had done a lot of work.
19 This reserve police force came to the dom in Cirkin Polje. According to
20 our assessment, the callups were sent out for 260 people for the job.
21 However, a lot more appeared. That is partly an answer to the question.
22 This hall was fully packed and people talked and smoked. No one made
23 noise or shouted. I have no words to depict the atmosphere in that room.
24 People were aware of the seriousness of the task ahead of us and they
25 acted according to the situation. At 4.00, the first convoys, so to
Page 5812
1 speak, of people who were organised and tasked to take over all vital
2 buildings and functions in the municipality set off. This little mini-bus
3 that Mico Janjetovic used to take the Rudar players to the soccer matches
4 in was used and the rounds were made to the SUP, the Court, the municipal
5 building, the Kozarski Vjesnik, et cetera. Maybe this might sound funny,
6 but the last building that was taken was the Public Auditing Service,
7 because the guard there who was a Serb had fallen asleep, and I vividly
8 remember how we sat in that room, Simo, Djule Jankovic, Cadzo, and myself,
9 listening to the man talking on the Motorola whether they should break in
10 through the door or not, and someone said: "Why bother breaking in, since
11 he would wake up eventually" and that's what happened.
12 There were no incidents, nothing, and at 4.25, the last report
13 came through. The procedure was rather simple. One would just say
14 "over." And that was a sign that the task was completed, i.e., that a
15 certain office i.e., function had been taken. And that was it.
16 At 4.25, it was all over. At 5.00, the representatives of our
17 Serbian authorities came to me to the HQ, the president of the
18 municipality, the vice-president of the municipality, chairman of the
19 executive committee, secretary for the economy, defence minister, and all
20 the others, according to the respective departments in the municipality,
21 and then we began dispatching them. There were also a few prominent
22 general managers there. There's no need to name everyone. They went to
23 their respective offices, where our armed policemen were waiting for them
24 with the lists of the people who were not to be allowed to enter the
25 municipal building, the Court, the SUP building, and so on, not those who
Page 5813
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Page 5814
1 could. Simo has just mentioned that, and I think it is good idea that we
2 luckily came to that smart idea that the president of the municipality,
3 the chairman of the party, and some top officials, supporters of the SDA,
4 were not granted access, while all other Muslims or Croats, regardless of
5 nationality and regular employees came to work as usual, the only
6 difference being that the Serbian flag and the Yugoslav flag were hoisted
7 up on the municipal building to mark that the takeover had been carried
8 out. By 6.00 a.m., it was all over. We informed Vojo Kupresanin in Banja
9 Luka. At that time, there was still the Autonomous Region of the Krajina,
10 since everything had not been done yet. He could not believe when we told
11 him it was over and that we have seized the power in the municipality,
12 since it was much more difficult to do it here than in those smaller towns
13 like Novi Dubica, Sana, because, and it is well known, we were a big
14 regional centre and the chief of this regional centre was this Mirza
15 Mujadzic, and since Simo has already said everything about him, there is
16 no need for me to repeat.
17 Reporter: Since this action to seize power in the municipality
18 had been meticulously planned and carried out without a single incident or
19 shot being fired, we would like to know what were the assessments that
20 afternoon on 29th. Did you expect an immediate reaction on the part of
21 the SDA, and what would have been your course of action had something like
22 that happened?
23 Kuruzovic: It is very difficult to answer to the first part of
24 the question with regard to their possible reaction. I do not know if the
25 time is right to discuss all that, but we knew that they had been armed,
Page 5815
1 we knew where they were, we knew where their strongest units were, but
2 there was something else about which they did not pay attention all the
3 while. As Simo said, As we were trying the democratic option and trying
4 to draw to their attention to that was wrong and -- later throughout that
5 month. Maybe it's not okay that I say that, as the general manager of our
6 company, but we will talk about what happened during that month here in
7 Prijedor. We fought in the western Slavonija for a year, and they did
8 not, and that was our enormous advantage since we knew that they did not
9 stand a ghost of a chance to do something so drastic. And eventually it
10 proved right when 120 of them carried that attack thinking that they could
11 do something using rifles, and you know how this attempt ended. Our
12 assumption was -- we predicted that nothing silly would happen, in other
13 words, that they might cause an incident, because in each and every
14 Serbian village, in every part of the town of Prijedor, in every suburban
15 settlement where the Serbs lived, everything was organised.
16 Reporter: Were you much surprised by the action which ensued on
17 29 or 30 May when the Muslims, Muslim fanatics of the SDA attacked the
18 town of Prijedor?
19 Kuruzovic: We expected something like that any day, because we
20 knew they could not get over that. Our people will proudly remember that,
21 and their people will remember it as well, although they will judge it
22 differently. We simply outsmarted them and seized power in 25 minutes
23 without having fired a single shot, because we did not want it to happen
24 any other way.
25 Let me take the opportunity and remind you that even before that,
Page 5816
1 there were many problems. There were burglaries, robberies et cetera, in
2 the town, and that was one of the compelling reasons since we wanted to
3 prevent that. They did not surprise us because we knew they did not have
4 respectable force, but I was personally surprised a little bit because
5 this Slavko Acimovic was my pupil. I could not believe it. He was
6 something of an enigma. We knew he had been plotting something and that
7 he was a member of the HDZ, but that he was capable of something like
8 that, that was beyond expectation. I know why that happened. We talked a
9 lot about that later on. They did not want that much to seize power.
10 Their intention was to excuse themselves before their own people. Alija
11 is doing something similar at the moment. He constantly attacks and
12 reports casualties. Let me not mention all of it now, but for instance,
13 the Markale incident, or the French being killed, et cetera, et cetera,
14 merely to prove that something is being done. Maybe it is not fair to
15 talk like this, but I know they took a hell of a lot of money from their
16 people in order to procure weapons to attack the Serbs, slaughter them,
17 and eventually cause an exodus. We struggled for a month to persuade them
18 to disarm and hand in those weapons, to resolve all the problems, preserve
19 peace and schedule elections - we don't care who wins - to preserve peace
20 and order in the town, but to no avail. Of course, in that case, they
21 would have to return the money to the people.
22 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: [Previous translation continues]... and listen
23 until we have the end of the French.
24 THE INTERPRETER: Reporter: This is a good occasion to make a
25 parallel at the end of our conversation and to compare the SDS then in
Page 5817
1 April 1992 and now in April 1995.
2 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: The French version is also done?
3 THE INTERPRETER: The French interpreters finished at the same
4 time as the English booth.
5 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Let's have a break of half an hour now, until
6 11.30.
7 --- Recess taken at 11.00 a.m.
8 --- On resuming at 11.33 a.m.
9 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Please be seated. May we now continue in the
10 way we did it. May we so start the B/C/S version, and then at the same
11 time start with English and French. Thank you.
12 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover] This is Prijedor radio, live
13 broadcast from the Crvena sala of the express restaurant of the Ljubija
14 mine ironworks and the studio of the Prijedor radio. And now we are going
15 to play some music and let the colleagues from the studio take over.
16 Reporter: And so dear listeners, we have slowly brought this
17 programme to an end. Today we look back on the 30th of April, 1992, when
18 the SDS assumed power in this town and this municipality. We heard a lot
19 about immediate preparations, and the takeover. Our next guest, Mr. Mico
20 Kovacevic, the first chairman of the executive committee of the Prijedor
21 Municipality could tell us something about the functioning of the
22 authorities. The SDS took power exactly at dawn on the 30th of April, and
23 on the very same day, there was a session of our government which as Mico
24 has said just now, as we are preparing this conversation, was a shadow
25 government. Mr. Kovacevic, how do it all look back then?
Page 5818
1 Kovacevic: I would first of all like to greet our listeners, if
2 anyone is listening to us. I would not like to talk about the
3 preparations since many before me commented on this, and on what it looked
4 like. The question indicated that it did not altogether happen
5 spontaneously, that it happened in a disorganised manner, et cetera. As
6 those who preceded me already said in this programme, it is all very well
7 prepared. Having seen that we did not stand a ghost of a chance in this
8 Alija's unitarian state, I'm not interested in how he pictured that --
9 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Please stop. The OTP has --
10 MR. KOUMJIAN: Your Honour, if I'm correct, I just noticed on the
11 English translation, I think because of some confusion when we ended, we
12 actually lost about a page of the B/C/S. I think it stopped on page --
13 the translation at the break at page 3727, around the middle where it says
14 Kuruzovic we simply outsmarted them and seized power because we did not
15 want it to happen any other way. I think that was the end of the English
16 translation, with this is Prijedor live broadcast. I'm mainly concerned
17 about the French, and I didn't follow that. But I presume we might have
18 lost the same or more on the French translation.
19 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Sorry, but I had the other impression that we
20 had the break at the end of the contribution of Mr. Kuruzovic on page
21 33728. And then continuing...
22 MR. KOUMJIAN: Okay. I understand now, it's just the matter of
23 the Live Note is behind, and the actual translation was done. So as long
24 as the French booth and the English booth feel that they are up to date,
25 that's fine.
Page 5819
1 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: It's difficult to see through the shaded
2 glasses.
3 MR. KOUMJIAN: I see the English says okay.
4 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Then let's continue where we just stopped.
5 THE INTERPRETER: [Voiceover] I'm concerned with how we pictured
6 that. We did not deny anything to anyone, neither then nor now, but we
7 have to pursue our right, and we will succeed one way or another. Serb
8 must remain in a single state. Not in these Serbian Krajina, Krajina
9 Serbia, Montenegro and whatnot. It's all the same to me. That's the
10 course that we had taken then, and I believe the majority still adheres to
11 the same principles. Otherwise, it would be no good. I would not like to
12 make any further comments on the preparations. We had earlier formed the
13 so-called shadow government. This is a political expression, although for
14 us it was a government which had already been in function at the time.
15 When we decided to do it, we did it the way we did it. We set up a staff.
16 I'm not going to give any names. It is known. Someone knows. I do not
17 have to know that. On today's date, we had talks about it, and scheduled
18 the date and all that, and then we decided that we should do it on such
19 and such a day at a certain hour. The government was there from the
20 president of the municipality to those structures which I am still not
21 familiar with, evening after two years in power, since it does not
22 interest me. My field is medicine. Some were from the SDS, some from the
23 executive committee. It was all neatly prepared and done, and we waited
24 for that moment that we set, and then on today's date, at 4.00 a.m., a few
25 years ago, we did what we did.
Page 5820
1 To my own and everyone else's surprise, it really went the way we
2 had planned it, I mean, those from the SUP, that is to say, from the
3 centre, Simo and others, told me that they had announced from our HQ that
4 the movement was to begin, and in 28 minutes, I was in the position of the
5 chairman of the executive committee, and Stakic held the position of the
6 president of the Municipal Assembly. All bodies of authority were in
7 their positions and began functioning from that moment on. Therefore,
8 some kind of transition was made from those national parties. Today,
9 opinions may vary. But those were indeed national parties, and it is good
10 that it was done the way it was done. So 20 minutes after setting out
11 from Cirkin Polje, the municipality resumed its work as if nothing had
12 happened. That was done without casualties or shooting. Nothing. We
13 just came to our respective offices and began working, as if it had been
14 for centuries like that. And thank God it still goes on like that. A lot
15 has been sacrificed and a high price has been paid but it is all right as
16 long as the price is not even higher.
17 Reporter: When you took on the duty as the chairman of the first
18 Executive Committee of the former Serbian Assembly, that is, Prijedor
19 Municipality, in addition to the difficulties and problems that plagued
20 you at the time, that plagued at the time, not only Prijedor but this
21 entire region, you had yet another demanding task which you, from our
22 point of view, fulfilled in a rather charming manner. You were the first
23 man in Prijedor to receive foreign journalists and explain what was going
24 on. How did you do that?
25 Kovacevic: I followed a rather simple principle. As a doctor and
Page 5821
1 a humanist by profession, I dealt with it accordingly. Up until then I
2 treated people regardless of nationality, race, colour of skin. I do not
3 know what the principle was well established in the field of medicine. It
4 is not relevant whether a person is yellow, white, Muslim, Catholic,
5 Buddhist or Orthodox by faith. It was all the same to me. However,
6 journalists approached me with provocative questions, and I simply
7 followed the principle to which I still adhere today. Even today, I could
8 successfully deal with any delegation from CNN to ICRC. You can verify
9 this in Banja Luka. For example, I just received a new representative.
10 My principle was the truth. I present them with the bare and unpleasant
11 truth, and I disarmed them on the spot. I placed my cards on the table
12 equally for those from CNN and those from Russia who usually lack
13 information just like you and for all the others, regardless of their
14 confession. I played poker with all the cards on the table. I used to
15 play it, and now I'm an elderly man and I have other responsibilities. And
16 then we play, and he cannot fool me over anything. It was the easiest
17 thing for me. If you use the trigger, too, I knew them immediately, but I
18 did not want to use them on purpose, and he had to succumb. Sometimes I
19 had the courage to say things. I'm not afraid of any one of those 21
20 cells in The Hague. I then said: "Take me and Genscher before the court
21 and then we'll see who is going to be hanged on this Cyrillic letter G.
22 They gave me a firm promise that they would translate it like that both
23 for the CNN and in Germany, but they did now. I got the information. I
24 know that he was not playing a fair game with me. As soon as you are
25 hiding something, you are handicapped. I can easily deal with this type.
Page 5822
1 That was my principle.
2 Reporter: Dear listeners, that is our interlocutor earned the
3 nickname "Pukovnik," Colonel, although he is not one. All foreign
4 journalists called him Pukovnik just because of his outspoken attitude,
5 his eloquence, and the agility with which he presented the truth. Thank
6 you for the participation in this conversation.
7 Kovacevic: I would like to insert a correction.
8 Reporter: Please.
9 Kovacevic: I told everyone and those who listened to me
10 understood. They do not want to listen. They come with their own truth.
11 I told everyone I am a colonel in the medical corps who was retired at his
12 own expense. Often they do not know how to translate that and they do not
13 know what they are searching for. No one can promote or demote me, or
14 strip me of my rank. Best regards to the listeners.
15 Reporter: We thank "the colonel who was retired at this own
16 expense."
17 Excerpts from the session of the Municipal Assembly broadcast by
18 Prijedor Radio.
19 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. Of course, it's right for the
20 parties to give observations on this issue, on the tape we just heard.
21 MR. KOUMJIAN: If I could ask, I don't know if the translation
22 stopped before the end of the announcement. I think there's some
23 significance to that, because it's talking about the consequences of not
24 accepting the Vance-Owen plan. It's just an additional way of placing the
25 tape in a time sequence, that it was 1995.
Page 5823
1 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: But is it related to the reporter, and I think
2 the reporter closed "retired at his own expense" and then there is a
3 new -- it seems to be only headlines. And I can't see the relevance of
4 this additional part.
5 MR. KOUMJIAN: I could be wrong. My understanding is this is just
6 a continuation of the same tape, may be a new segment starting. But Your
7 Honour just asked me about the time.
8 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: If you please compare the last page in B/C/S,
9 you can see that it ends with "we thank the Colonel who is retired at his
10 own expense." And the following, you can't find in B/C/S.
11 MR. KOUMJIAN: I see it wasn't put on the transcript, but it's on
12 the tape. If Your Honours don't think it's helpful, that's fine with me.
13 Just you asked about the time; I think it helps.
14 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Apparently one couldn't find it on the same side
15 of the tape, and as it reads in English, side B seems to be empty.
16 But please, it's the right of the parties to comment on that what
17 we have heard. Any observations by the Defence?
18 MR. LUKIC: As we could follow regarding the translation, it was
19 correct.
20 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: And as -- of course, we can't --
21 THE INTERPRETER: Microphone, Your Honour.
22 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Of course you can't cross-examine, but it's your
23 right to comment also on the content of these parts we just heard.
24 MR. LUKIC: But we object to the authenticity, Your Honour, of
25 this tape, because we just heard that it has been seized, but we don't
Page 5824
1 know where. Maybe Mr. Inayat can help when he comes. But for now, we
2 would like to reserve our right to object to this tape as well.
3 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. OTP?
4 MR. KOUMJIAN: Thank you. Yes, Mr. Inayat will testify that it
5 was seized in December 1997 from the Prijedor radio station. But I think
6 the tape --
7 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: I think it's good to know that it's contested,
8 whenever we have a new witness from the area, knowing the acting persons
9 there, we can once again play and ask whether or not a person can identify
10 the voice of these persons we heard on the tape. We shouldn't forget
11 that.
12 MR. KOUMJIAN: Okay.
13 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: No other comments. Then nevertheless, under the
14 rules, we had until now, and we continue without doubt with these rules.
15 This is admitted into evidence under the number given before, -1.
16 Mr. Lukic, please.
17 MR. LUKIC: If I may, Your Honour, we would like to -- we would
18 like the Chamber to instruct the OTP not to play this tape to the
19 witnesses prior to their testimony. The other way they could be
20 instructed who is who.
21 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: I don't hope that any party instructs a witness
22 to give a certain testimony, but indeed, it could be preferable to hear
23 the tape in the courtroom, and then ask the witness whether or not the
24 voice can be identified.
25 But then let's proceed. We heard in the beginning of this session
Page 5825
1 that the OTP is prepared to tender another set of documents. And is it
2 the understanding, this would be now List 5? Do you agree to have it as
3 List 5?
4 MR. KOUMJIAN: Yes. And we -- the actual list is on top of the
5 documents.
6 If I could just make one brief comment regarding the last matter
7 raised by Mr. Lukic.
8 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Please, don't hesitate.
9 MR. KOUMJIAN: The Trial Chamber has imposed some time limitations
10 on our case. We're trying to focus our case on real issues. There's --
11 this is a tape that was seized from the radio station in Prijedor. I
12 don't think a court of law we should lose basic common sense. There's
13 absolutely no evidence right now that the people named in that tape a Mr.
14 Drljaca, Mr. Kovacevic, Mr. Kuruzovic, are not the people that were
15 speaking. It really doesn't -- common sense tells you that those were the
16 people that were speaking. I don't think the OTP intends to waste time,
17 given the reasonable limits that the Court has imposed on us on things
18 that are not in issue. We don't see an issue. If the Defence raises one,
19 we can address it. But this is just common sense that these are the
20 people that are speaking.
21 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: We have heard the message, and no doubt there is
22 a lot of truth in this message.
23 Let's turn to the documents immediately. Could the OTP please be
24 so kind and give us some guidance when we are going through these
25 documents now. And let's do it in the way that you indicate which
Page 5826
1 document is of special importance from your point of view in order that it
2 can be read out. On the other hand, it should be the -- first of all, on
3 the question of whether or not to admit into evidence these documents.
4 Please, feel free to take the floor.
5 MR. KOUMJIAN: Thank you. Actually, I selected these documents.
6 I think all are very relevant, but there may be in some of the longer
7 documents, there may be only portions that are relevant. And if that's
8 the case, I will indicate to the Court. Also, some of these we only have
9 draft translations, on just a few of these.
10 But the first one is 65 ter number 5 involves a certificate on the
11 election to the post of Municipal Assemblyman. I would ask that be marked
12 next in order.
13 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Please have the next exhibit number. 190. Is
14 it correct?
15 MR. KOUMJIAN: Yes. I see, unfortunately, on this one, we have
16 both a translation and a draft. Never mind. Apparently you don't have
17 that. You have the correct translation.
18 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: May I ask the registry, please, the next
19 following number is 190. Is that correct?
20 THE REGISTRAR: I look at this exhibit list. The next number
21 should be S189.
22 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Didn't we have that yesterday?
23 MR. KOUMJIAN: Yes, that was the diagram of the courtroom that we
24 marked.
25 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Yes. So 65 ter number 5 then receives S190.
Page 5827
1 Objections?
2 MR. LUKIC: Your Honours, this is the first time I have these
3 documents with me. Can we go with the possible objections afterwards when
4 I discuss these documents with Dr. Stakic, please.
5 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Right. Then we proceed this way, that we give a
6 provisional exhibit number, as we did it in the past, for the documents
7 and decide later on on the admission. Therefore, this is now S190. And
8 may S190 provisional be read out in English.
9 THE REGISTRAR: "Form number 21, [Article 19, item 6, and Article
10 22, item 4] of the law.
11 "Municipal electoral committee Prijedor.
12 "01-193/90.
13 "Prijedor, 11 December, 1990.
14 ""Prijedor municipal electoral committee for the election of
15 assemblymen to the Prijedor Municipal Assembly.
16 "Pursuant to Article 19, item 6, or Article 22, item 4, of the law
17 on the election of assemblymen and deputies into the assemblies of
18 sociopolitical communities, [SRBiH, Socialist Republic of BiH, Official
19 Gazette, Number 21-90] hereby issues a certificate of election to the post
20 of municipal assemblyman Dr. Stakic, Milomir, from Omarska, at the
21 elections held on 18 November, 1990, in the constituency of Omarska has
22 been elected assemblyman of the Prijedor Municipal Assembly.
23 "Signed, president Nedzad Seric. Secretary, Radmila Majkic".
24 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. The next one where we have a draft
25 translation. It was 65 ter number 8. This would be now provisional
Page 5828
1 S191, A and B respectively. Has document such an importance that it's
2 necessary to be read out?
3 THE REGISTRAR: "Socialist --
4 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Just a minute. The OTP may --
5 MR. KOUMJIAN: I don't have an objection to reading it all out,
6 but if I can just indicate --
7 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: We have to limit ourselves.
8 MR. KOUMJIAN: Yes. I can indicate that in this report of the
9 election commission, it indicates which people were elected from various
10 parts of the municipality. The relevance would be that it indicates that
11 Mr. Stakic again was elected from Omarska. It also indicates some of the
12 areas that are of -- in which there were particularly brutal attacks, such
13 as Kozarac, it indicates which parties were elected there showing, I
14 think, in Kozarac that it was about --
15 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: I believe it's not necessary to read out this
16 entire document. We can see on page 7 that in the Omarska electoral
17 district, assemblyman of the Serbian democratic party is Dr. Milomir
18 Stakic.
19 MR. KOUMJIAN: Yes. And in the Omarska -- in the Kozarac area, in
20 addition to the SDA deputies, I think there were 11 of those, and several
21 of the names which I think everyone can understand are relevant because
22 they were mentioned as people who were in prison in Omarska or other
23 places. There also was a member of the reformist party, a member of the
24 SDS party, Vinko Kos, and a member of the league of communists. And there
25 are several names that have come up in the testimony such as that --
Page 5829
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and
13 English transcripts.
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Page 5830
1 another person elected from the reformist party was Riza Beglerbegovic.
2 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Right.
3 The next one 65 ter number 43, which is S192A and B respectively.
4 It would be a great surprise if the Prosecutor would not ask to read this
5 document, but apparently the B/C/S version seems to be longer than the
6 English. Or is it once again twice the same document?
7 MR. KOUMJIAN: It's twice the same document, I believe. The
8 document in B/C/S that has the ERN range of 00633787 to 3788 was seized
9 from a police station, while the following document with the range
10 P0007162 to 7163 was seized from the Municipal Assembly building.
11 Again, since the authenticity of the documents are at issue, the
12 fact that the document was found twice at two different locations, we
13 think it's relevant that both be admitted.
14 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Then not yet admitted, but provisionally, the
15 one starting with -- ending with S787 will be now 192B-1. And the other
16 one ending with the number 7162 will be 192B-2.
17 May we now, please, hear the English translation.
18 THE REGISTRAR: "Article of the constitutional act on the
19 implementation of the constitution of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and
20 Herzegovina in the decision of the Autonomous Region of Krajina stipulate
21 that the laws and other regulations of the SFRJ were applied until such
22 time as the appropriate laws and other regulations of the republic are
23 passed, provide that they conform to the constitution --
24 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Sorry, do we have the same document before us?
25 It should read 00916642.
Page 5831
1 THE REGISTRAR: The first page is missing from my document here.
2 Sorry about that.
3 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: May I help you out.
4 THE REGISTRAR: "Pursuant to Article 12 of the constitutional act
5 on the implementation of the constitution of the Serbian Republic of
6 Bosnia and Herzegovina [Official gazette of the Serbian people in BH,
7 number 3/92] Article 46 of the law of basic property and legal relations
8 [Official gazette of the Socialist federal Republic of Yugoslavia, number
9 6/80], the decision of the assembly and the Crisis Staff of the Autonomous
10 Region of Krajina, number 03-300/92, dated 28 April; and 03-513/92, dated
11 19 June, 1992; and Article 230 of the statute of the Prijedor Municipality
12 [Official gazette of the Prijedor Municipality number 7/84, 9/85, 1/90,
13 6/90, and 1/91] the Prijedor Municipal Assembly passed the following
14 decision at its session held on 1992, passed the following decision on
15 proclaiming abandoned property, property of the state: Paragraph "Article
16 1: All abandoned property [Real estate and moveable items] of persons
17 who have left the territory of the Prijedor Municipality, and of persons
18 who participated in the armed uprising, is temporarily proclaimed state
19 property, the Prijedor Municipality becoming entitled to all possession
20 rights.
21 "Article 2: The municipal secretariat for city planning, housing,
22 and utilities, and legal property affairs, and the municipal land survey
23 department, in cooperation with other municipal organs, shall make an
24 inventory of all real estate [Land, family houses, business premises,
25 property and economic facilities] belonging to persons referred to in
Page 5832
1 Article 1 of this decision.
2 Article 3: The allotment of the property referred to in Article 1
3 of this decision will be determined by a separate decision of the
4 Municipal Assembly.
5 "Article 4: This decision shall be effective until the
6 appropriate legislation for these matters has been passed by the Assembly
7 of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
8 "Article 5: This decision comes into effect on the day on which
9 it is passed and will be published in the official gazette of the Prijedor
10 Municipality.
11 "Signed, president of the municipal assembly, Dr. Milomir Stakic.
12 "Rationale, legal grounds:
13 "Article 12 of the constitutional act on the implementation of the
14 constitution of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and
15 decision of the Assembly on the Autonomous Region of Krajina stipulate
16 that the laws and other regulations of the SFRJ will apply until such time
17 as the appropriate laws and other regulations of the Republic are passed,
18 provided that they con form to the constitution of the Serbian Republic of
19 Bosnia and Herzegovina, the laws and other regulations passed by the
20 Assembly of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, that is, the
21 People's Assembly. Therefore, the legal grounds for this decision are
22 found in Article 46 of the federal law on basic property and legal rights
23 which stipulates that the right of ownership terminates with abandonment
24 and that abandoned real estate becomes socially owned property at the time
25 it was abandoned.
Page 5833
1 "In addition to the above-mentioned legal grounds, additional
2 legal ground can be found in the decision of the Crisis Staff of the
3 Autonomous Region of Krajina, which stipulates that all the abandoned
4 property must immediately be registered and then declared state property,
5 with the municipality claiming full ownership rights.
6 "Reasons for reaching this decision: A certain number of people
7 have left the municipality and abandoned their property. There is also
8 property that belongs to those who participated in the armed uprising and
9 their property should temporarily be declared state property so that it
10 can be allocated for use. The proclamation for state property is
11 temporary because appropriate legal regulations will be passed in relation
12 to this."
13 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. The next one --
14 MR. KOUMJIAN: May I just inquire of the Trial Chamber, some of
15 the other documents that had even an typed signature, I know the documents
16 with the actual handwritten signature, Your Honour wanted the originals.
17 I don't know if you want to have the originals of the typed signatures
18 only but if so, we can provide that. When I say the originals, I mean the
19 document we have in evidence, of course.
20 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Right. We have to be aware that no doubt -- no
21 date is filled in, both in the beginning and at the end of the document.
22 And even the line that reads "number" is not filled in. So probably,
23 maybe it's only a draft. We have to come back to this later when we have
24 an overview of all the documents. The same is true, and I think because
25 it's in close connection so that what we just recently heard, and it's
Page 5834
1 open to the parties to read themselves, the next document needs not to be
2 read out, but of course we attribute a provisional number, and this would
3 be for 65 ter Document Number 45, it should be S193, A and B respectively.
4 Then we may turn to 65 ter number 48. It's the same. It's not
5 dated. And no number has been attributed, but nevertheless, following the
6 policy, it may turn out, I don't know, that some of these documents appear
7 in the official gazette then later on. The former 48 will now be
8 provisional S194, A and B respectively, hoping that this time, you have
9 both pages. Could you please read out the English document. 48, now 194.
10 THE REGISTRAR: "Pursuant to Article 12 of the constitutional law
11 on the implementation of the constitution of the Serbian Republic of
12 Bosnia and Herzegovina [Official gazette of the Serbian people in BH
13 number 3/82] Article 5, paragraph 1, and Article 34 of the law on housing
14 [Official gazette of the SR/Serbian Republic of BiH, number 14/84 and
15 12/87] And Article 230 of the statute of the Municipality of Prijedor
16 number 7/84, 9/85, 6/90, and 2/91], the Municipal Assembly of Prijedor at
17 its session on 1992 adopted the following decision on amendments to the
18 decision on the conditions and mode of allocation for use of apartments at
19 the disposal of the Municipality of Prijedor.
20 "Article 1: In the decision on the conditions and mode of
21 allocation for use of apartments at the disposal of the Municipality of
22 Prijedor [Official Gazette of the Municipality of Prijedor number 5/85 and
23 4/91] in Article 14, after paragraph 1, new paragraphs 2 and 3 are added
24 which read as follows:
25 `Apartments from paragraph 1 of this article, once they are
Page 5835
1 emptied of people and belongings, shall be registered in the housing fund
2 for soldiers of the army of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and
3 Herzegovina.
4 `The Centre for Social Welfare shall immediately inform the
5 competent organ and enable the use of these apartments.'
6 "Article 2: The professional service is authorised to finalise
7 the redacted text of the decision.
8 "Article 3: This decision shall come into effect on the date of
9 its adoption and will be published in the Official Gazette of the
10 Municipality of Prijedor.
11 "President of the Municipal Assembly, Dr. Milomir Stakic.
12 "Statement of reasons, Article 1 and paragraph 4, and Article 14,
13 paragraph 1 of the decision on the conditions and means of allocation for
14 use of the apartments at the disposal of the Municipality of Prijedor
15 prescribe that apartments obtained by the Municipality on the grounds of
16 nationalisation and confiscation shall be given for use solely to persons
17 who are in a situation of social need, on the basis of the recommendations
18 of the Centre for Social Welfare in Prijedor.
19 "Due to the pronounced need for a large number of apartments and
20 their allocation to the participants in the war, it is necessary to
21 register these apartments with the housing fund for soldiers of the army
22 of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well.
23 "Since substantial amendments were made to the decision in 1991, a
24 redaction of the text is necessary, for which the SO professional service
25 has been authorised."
Page 5836
1 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. And now for document former 65 ter
2 49, it will have provisionally the number S195A and B respectively. As to
3 the fact that the content is closely related to the document we just
4 heard, I think it's not necessary to read out this document.
5 The following one, the former 65 ter 55 [Realtime transcript read
6 in error "95"] would now provisionally have the number S196A and B
7 respectively. Here, it's a total issue, and therefore I would ask the
8 registry to read out this document in the English version.
9 THE REGISTRAR: "Pursuant to Articles 3 and 7 of the decision on
10 the organisation and work of the Crisis Staff of Prijedor Municipality, at
11 a session held on, the war presidency of the Prijedor Municipality adopted
12 a decision:
13 "Article 1: This decision establishes the criteria for the
14 division of real estate declared to be state or municipal property,
15 residential buildings, family homes [Hereinafter referred to as property]
16 among the Serbian population of Prijedor Municipality, families of fallen
17 combatants, and the Serbian population moving in from areas affected by
18 the war [Hereinafter refugees].
19 "Article 2: Citizens have the right to a share in this property
20 according to the following categories:
21 "1, the first category applies to citizens of Serbian nationality
22 who have been left without property as a result of the fighting in
23 Prijedor Municipality.
24 "2, the second category applies to citizens left without property
25 who have refugee status and wish to reside permanently in Prijedor
Page 5837
1 Municipality.
2 "The third category applies to combatants of the Serbian Republic
3 of Bosnia and Herzegovina who have no property or whose property is
4 insufficient for future existence.
5 "Article 3: When resolving the division of property, the relevant
6 administrative organs will take into account the status of property of
7 citizens, meaning the size and value of property lost and destroyed, and
8 that the property apportioned be of approximately the same size and value
9 of the property lost or destroyed.
10 "Members of the military and families of fallen combatants shall
11 have priority in the right established in the preceding paragraph within
12 the group to which they belong according to the criteria established
13 above.
14 "Article 4: Only those citizens who can present the relevant
15 administrative organs with documentation of ownership or entitlement or
16 prove their right in a legitimate manner shall be entitled to the
17 resolution of property.
18 "Article 5: Those persons who have established their right in
19 accordance with the criteria established above shall have the right of
20 ownership of this property.
21 "Article 6: Pursuant to procedure carried out before the relevant
22 organs, citizens shall be issued with a decision which shall be verified
23 by the Municipal Assembly on the basis of which the rights of the owner to
24 the property shall be registered to the land registry.
25 "Article 7: Persons who have acquired the right to ownership of
Page 5838
1 property pursuant to this decision are forbidden from conveyancing the
2 allotted property for a period of 30 years.
3 "Article 8: The rights established by this decision are
4 provisional.
5 "After the adoption of appropriate regulations, this decision will
6 be harmonised with them.
7 "Article 9: This decision comes into force on the day of its
8 adoption and shall be published in the Official Gazette of Prijedor
9 Municipality.
10 "Number 01-023 Prijedor. Date: 1992.
11 "President, War Presidency, Dr. Milomir Stakic."
12 MR. KOUMJIAN: Just one minor correction: On page 36, line 15,
13 the correct 65 ter number is 55. The transcript read 95, but the document
14 just read is 65 ter number 55.
15 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. The next document before us seems to
16 have nearly the same content as the document before. I think here we need
17 later on some explanation by the OTP --
18 MR. LUKIC: Your Honour, excuse me.
19 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Please.
20 MR. LUKIC: May I intervene. This is one of very doubtful
21 documents, and we would like the OTP to disclose the document which was
22 marked as 25 in the first set of documents. The document has the same
23 substance only it's also different from this one. Actually, we have three
24 documents with similar text. It's this 55, also number 66 in disclosed
25 exhibits. But in the first set of documents under number 25, we have a
Page 5839
1 document which is not marked as a War Presidency, but as a Municipal
2 Assembly decision. So we would like all those documents to be disclosed,
3 and we would be able to judge about the substance of the document and the
4 source of the document.
5 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Right. I already started indicating I'm not
6 prepared to read out now the additional document, the 65 ter 63, which
7 will be now S197A and B. But I think, indeed, explanation is needed why
8 two nearly identical but in fact not identical documents on the same
9 issue - one including 9 the other 8 paragraphs - but the contents seems to
10 be the same. And you heard the commentary of the Defence, and we should
11 go into certain detail. Please.
12 MR. KOUMJIAN: Your Honour, we pick these documents up as we find
13 them. As to why there are slightly different versions of the same subject
14 matter, orders regarding the same subject matter, I'd be speculating right
15 now. It could be, as Your Honour indicated earlier, that there are
16 various drafts of the same decision.
17 And just to clarify, I think when counsel referred to number 25,
18 was that the 65 ter number, or the S number?
19 MR. LUKIC: It's not 65 ter. It's --
20 MR. KOUMJIAN: S number, the exhibit number?
21 MR. LUKIC: It's not exhibit number either. I marked it as A
22 because I found three times, as I explained previously, number 25 in your
23 documents. So we have three groups of documents. This is in the first
24 group, probably disclosed in 2001.
25 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Would the parties please be so kind and to
Page 5840
1 convene later, probably already today, and identify the documents that
2 seem to be drafts. Probably the solution can be found in the Official
3 Gazette. And it is not without reason that the Bench has asked the OTP to
4 bring some order into the documents tendered.
5 But I believe it would be a guessing game for today. And
6 therefore, we can't continue a debate on this. No doubt, a solution has
7 to be found whether these are all drafts or a version can be found in the
8 Official Gazette.
9 Now, the --
10 MR. KOUMJIAN: Your Honour, if we go on to the next one, 103,
11 could we go into closed session for just a moment, or private session.
12 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Private session, please.
13 [Private session]
14 (redacted)
15 (redacted)
16 (redacted)
17 (redacted)
18 (redacted)
19 (redacted)
20 (redacted)
21 (redacted)
22 (redacted)
23 (redacted)
24 (redacted)
25 (redacted)
Page 5841
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12 Page 5841 – redacted – private session.
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Page 5842
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 [Open session]
16 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Former 65 ter 137 will now be S199 --
17 THE INTERPRETER: Microphone, please, Your Honour.
18 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: -- S199, A and B respectively from the newspaper
19 Politika, it's only the marked article in Cyrillic.
20 Then Document 65 ter 159 will be S200A and B.
21 65 ter 160 will be S201. And only the article in Kozarski Vjesnik
22 related to this translated text is admitted -- is tendered, sorry, is
23 tendered until now.
24 The former 180 will be now S202, if I'm right.
25 Former S189 [sic] will be 203. Didn't we have this already
Page 5843
1 earlier?
2 MR. KOUMJIAN: I thought, but at least not under that 65 ter
3 number. It's possible that it was part of another larger group of
4 decisions.
5 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: I think it was in List 2 or 3. But
6 nevertheless, we give the provisional number 203, and in B/C/S, it's only
7 the portion in the official gazette under number 55. Please check again
8 whether or not we had it already.
9 MR. KOUMJIAN: I can check. It's also possible that the other
10 version was the decision, not the published decision. This is from the
11 gazette.
12 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: 193 will be 204.
13 206 will be 205. And then 231 will be 206.
14 Let's stop here and, for consideration, whether or not this needs
15 to be read out. Let's have a break until 1.00 sharp.
16 --- Recess taken at 12.34 p.m.
17 --- On resuming at 1.01 p.m.
18 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Please be seated.
19 The latest document before us was, I believe, the 65 ter number
20 231, which is now 206. And I think this document should be read out in
21 English. And just to clarify, in the B/C/S version, this will say S206B,
22 admitted is only the left-hand part, the left-hand column, 168 of the
23 document. So please.
24 THE REGISTRAR: "Monday, 8 June, 1992, number 8, page 307.
25 Official Gazette of the Serbian people of BH. 168.
Page 5844
1 "Pursuant to Article 5, paragraph 6 and 7, of the constitutional
2 law on implementation of the constitution of the Serbian Republic of
3 Bosnia and Herzegovina [Official Gazette of the Serbian people in BiH,
4 number 3/92 and 6/92], the presidency of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia
5 and Herzegovina hereby issues the following decision on the formation of
6 war presidencies in municipalities in times of war or the immediate threat
7 of war.
8 "Article 1: War presidencies shall be formed in the
9 municipalities of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina where the
10 assembly and executive body are unable to exercise their authority.
11 "Article 2: A war presidency shall consist of a representative of
12 the republic and generally the president of the Municipal Assembly or his
13 deputy or the vice-president, president of the executive committee or his
14 deputy, or the vice-president or a citizen chosen from among the
15 representatives of committee members.
16 "Article 3: A war presidency should organise, coordinate and
17 adjust activities for the defence of the Serbian people and for the
18 establishment of the lawful municipal authorities; perform all the duties
19 of the assembly and the executive body until the said authorities are able
20 to convene and work; create and ensure conditions for the work of military
21 bodies and units in defending the Serbian nation; carry out other tasks of
22 state bodies if they are unable to convene.
23 "Article 4: The Presidency of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and
24 Herzegovina shall appoint the republic's representative who shall give
25 professional and other assistance to war presidencies.
Page 5845
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12 Blank page inserted to ensure pagination corresponds between the French and
13 English transcripts.
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Page 5846
1 The republic's representative shall have the right and duty to
2 undertake all measures relating to appointments in the organisation and
3 work of war presidencies and to ensure permanent coordination and
4 implementation of the policies and measures defined and adopted by the
5 republic's state institutions and the main staff the Army of the Serbian
6 Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
7 "The republic's representative may be authorised to cover several
8 municipalities in conformity with the organisation of the Army of Serbian
9 Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
10 "Article 5: War presidencies should be formed within 15 days of
11 the date this decision comes into force.
12 The day war presidencies are established, Crisis Staffs shall
13 cease to operate in municipalities across the Serbian Republic of Bosnia
14 and Herzegovina.
15 "Article 6: This decision should come into force on the day of
16 issue and shall be published in the Official Gazette of the Serbian
17 Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
18 "Number 03-512. 31st May, 1992. President of the presidency of
19 the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr. Radovan Karadzic.
20 Signed."
21 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. The now following document causes
22 problems insofar as the entire document is already admitted into evidence
23 in the form of the entire Official Gazette of Prijedor Municipality of 25
24 June, 1992, which is S180.
25 MR. KOUMJIAN: Then I will withdraw that. We don't have to mark
Page 5847
1 it.
2 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. We now turn to 234, which would be
3 then 207, A and B respectively. And here, once again, may this document
4 be read out in English, please.
5 THE REGISTRAR: "Tuesday, 30 June, 1992, Official Gazette of the
6 Serbian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, number 10, page 345. 217. In
7 accordance with Article 5, paragraphs 6 and 7, of the constitutional act
8 for implementing the constitution of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and
9 Herzegovina [Official Gazette of the Serbian people in Bosnia and
10 Herzegovina number 3/92 and 6/92], the presidency of the Serbian Republic
11 of Bosnia and Herzegovina hereby adopts the following decision: Decision
12 on the formation of war commissions in municipalities in time of war or
13 the imminent threat of war.
14 "Article 1: War commissions shall be formed in war-afflicted
15 municipalities of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina or where
16 there is a threat of war.
17 "Article 2: A war commission shall consist of a Republic
18 commissioner and four members chosen from among the most prominent
19 citizens on Crisis Staffs, the business community, and the ruling party.
20 "Article 3: A war commission shall cooperate very closely with
21 lawful authorities, pass on directives from the war presidency of the
22 Republic, transmit information regarding the problems, needs, and
23 activities of municipal organs through its commissioners, cooperate with
24 the authorities in creating conditions for the work of military organs and
25 units in defending the Serbian people.
Page 5848
1 "Article 4: In order to provide professional and other support to
2 the war commissions, the presidency of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and
3 Herzegovina shall appoint Republic commissioners.
4 "A Republic commissioner shall appoint a war commission in
5 agreement with the war presidency of the Republic.
6 "A Republic commissioner shall, in agreement with the war
7 presidency of the Republic, dissolve a municipal war commission and
8 appoint new members.
9 "Article 5: War commissions shall be formed within 15 days of the
10 date this decision enters into force.
11 "The day the war commissions are formed, Crisis Staffs shall cease
12 to operate in municipalities across the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and
13 Herzegovina.
14 "Article 6: The decision on the formation of war presidencies in
15 municipalities in time of war or the imminent threat of war, number
16 03-512, of 31 May, 1992, Official Gazette of the Serbia people in BH
17 number 8/92 shall annulled by this decision.
18 "Article 7: This decision shall enter into force on the day of
19 its adoption and will be published in the Official Gazette of the Serbian
20 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
21 "Number 01-33/92. 10th of June, 1992.
22 "President of the Presidency of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and
23 Herzegovina, Dr. Radovan Karadzic. Signed."
24 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. Then we have 65 ter number 240. It
25 is tendered only a short article which, on the B/C/S copy of Kozarski
Page 5849
1 Vjesnik, apparently it is on the right-hand column, the second upper
2 article. Only this part is relevant. May I ask here any objections
3 against the admission into evidence of this document? Question to
4 Mr. Lukic.
5 MR. LUKIC: I think we have the same objection we previously
6 stated in connection with the similar or the same documents.
7 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Okay. Then we leave open also the decision on
8 this document. But nevertheless, this document has then the new number
9 S208, A and B respectively. May we hear the English translation of this
10 article, please.
11 THE REGISTRAR: "Publication, Kozarski Vjesnik. Date: 12th of
12 June, 1992. Head line: Ban on travel into and out of town. Author: Not
13 available. Subject: Crisis Staff decision.
14 "Given the security situation in the municipality of Prijedor, the
15 Prijedor Municipality Crisis Staff, at a session held on 6 June of this
16 year, deemed it necessary to uphold the ban on travel into and out of the
17 town, although giving its approval for the movement of passenger trains
18 between Prijedor and Banja Luka.
19 "Women and children are permitted to travel on this route, whereas
20 men require the appropriate permits from Prijedor public security station.
21 "According to information from Prijedor railway station, five
22 trains run on this route daily. Departure are at 0530, 0742, 1225, 1425,
23 and 1742 hours."
24 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. As regards the now following two
25 documents, the same is true; we have already admitted them under S180, the
Page 5850
1 entire Official Gazette of Prijedor. Withdraw? Thank you.
2 MR. KOUMJIAN: That's correct.
3 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: This concludes List Number 5, as already
4 indicated yesterday, we have now to turn once again to the former list,
5 and the next one in the order would be S93, which is 65 ter number 21.
6 THE REGISTRAR: BH Serbian Democratic Party, SDS, Prijedor SDS
7 municipal board Prijedor. Number 12/91. Date: 9 July, 1991.
8 "At a meeting held on 9 July, 1991, the Prijedor SDS Municipal
9 Board adopted the following decision to elect representatives for the
10 annual BH SDS convention.
11 "The following proposals were adopted: One, Milomir Stakic; two,
12 Dusan Kurnoga; 3, Dusko Vujinovic.
13 "Forward to: BH SDS GO/main board/archives.
14 "President of the Prijedor OOSDS, Srdjo Srdic."
15 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you for reading out this document that in
16 case it's a reliable document, it's now the 11th anniversary of this
17 document.
18 Then the next one.
19 THE REGISTRAR: S94?
20 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Just wait a minute. The question is what about
21 the necessity to read out this extremely long document in its entirety. I
22 can't see any special reason for this. If the OTP please can help us?
23 MR. KOUMJIAN: Yes, Your Honour, I think we already read out the
24 relevant portions of this during the testimony of Mr. Mujadzic. So I
25 would agree with Your Honour.
Page 5851
1 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you for this. Then we can proceed to the
2 next document. May I once again ask any special relevance of this
3 document? I think we touched upon this document on several occasions; and
4 if I understood, it was to draw our attention on, yes, the appointment of
5 Dr. Stakic as regards social wellness affairs. But please.
6 MR. KOUMJIAN: Yes, and I think the other important point which I
7 think was touched on by both Dr. Donja, and if I recall, from reading the
8 transcript, Mr. Sejmenovic, I believe, was the fact that Mr. Miskovic read
9 out the instructions forwarded from the SDS main board. But we would --
10 what's commonly called the variant A and variant B document.
11 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: It was discussed with Witness Mirsad Mujadzic as
12 well. So I think it's not necessary to read this document.
13 The following was read out, 96. Then 97, there wasn't anything
14 special with this. 98, could I please ask the registry to read out this
15 document, the English translation, S98, the former 65 ter 79.
16 THE REGISTRAR: Yes, Your Honour.
17 "Serbian Democratic Party, Executive Board. Sarajevo, 13 March,
18 1992.
19 "Handwritten, Titova 7A.
20 "To all municipal boards of the Serbian democratic party:
21 "In accordance with the stance adopted, you are required to assess
22 the possibility of establishing a Serbian Municipality in the area of your
23 activity.
24 "Your projection of the territory which your Serbian municipality
25 would comprise, needs to include a list of the local communes and
Page 5852
1 populated areas, or parts of populated areas which would become part of
2 the Serbian municipality.
3 "Please inform us of your stand, and the area designated to
4 comprise a Serbian municipality by letter or by telefax [Number 217-583]
5 by Tuesday, 17 March 1992 at the latest.
6 "President of the Executive Board of the SDS, Rajko Dukic.
7 Signature and stamp reading, Serbian Democratic Party of BH, main board,
8 Sarajevo."
9 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. The next following -- two following
10 documents, they were discussed in the presence of Witness Mirsad Mujadzic,
11 so the next one to be discussed would be document S109, the former 65 ter
12 222. May I hear the comments of the OTP whether or not it is necessary to
13 read this lengthy document in part? 109.
14 MR. KOUMJIAN: Yes, on this, the decisions that I believe are most
15 relevant would be number 1, not number 2, not number 3, number 4, I
16 believe is relevant. Not number 5. Number 6, point 5 we believe is
17 relevant. Number 7, particularly points number 1 and number 5. Not
18 number 8. Not number 9. Not number 10. Not number 11. Number 12, yes,
19 we believe is important, particularly 12.2. Not number 13. Not number
20 14. Not number 15. Not number 16. Not number 17. I just would
21 emphasise, I'm trying to get the most relevant. Some of these have some
22 relevance, but I'm trying to cut it down.
23 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Probably you can direct us later on. Let us
24 start immediately as you indicated, you are the moving party, and you
25 tendered this document. I understood decision number 1 in its entirety.
Page 5853
1 Right?
2 MR. KOUMJIAN: Yes.
3 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: So could we please hear number 1.
4 THE REGISTRAR: "Number 1, Official Gazette of the Autonomous
5 Region of Krajina. Year 1, issue 2. Banja Luka, 5 June, 1992. Annual
6 subscription, 6.000 dinars.
7 "Number 1: Pursuant to the decision of the Ministry of National
8 Defence of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, number 1/92,
9 dated 16 April 1992, and an evaluation of the situation on the territory,
10 with the aim of defending and protecting the people and property and of
11 maintaining peace for all who live in these areas, the secretariat for
12 national defence of the Autonomous Region of Krajina has made the
13 following decision:
14 "1, general public mobilisation is ordered on the entire territory
15 of the Autonomous Region of Krajina.
16 "2, all persons of military age in the Autonomous Region of
17 Krajina must make themselves immediately available to the municipal
18 headquarters of Territorial Defence which will then, according to their
19 estimates and plans, carry out mobilisations, the formation, and
20 engagement of units.
21 "3, all organs of social communities and all economic and other
22 organisations shall immediately shift to the wartime schedules.
23 "4, a curfew shall be introduced on the entire territory during
24 the period from 2200 till 0500 hours, except for persons with official
25 police authorisation, military police, and members of the Serbian
Page 5854
1 Territorial Defence.
2 "5, all paramilitary formations and individuals who illegally
3 possess weapons and ammunition are to immediately, and by 1500 hours on 11
4 May, 1992, at the latest, surrender them to the municipal headquarters of
5 Territorial Defence or to the nearest public security station. After this
6 deadline, competent bodies shall carry out a search and confiscate weapons
7 and ammunition with the application of the most rigorous sanctions.
8 "Reasons: 1, the carrying out of a general public mobilisation
9 involves taking all the necessary steps ensuing from the situation,
10 according to the concrete circumstances on the territory of each
11 municipality.
12 "2, in carrying out the general public mobilisation, the following
13 steps should be taken: Mobilisation of the units added to the JNA forces,
14 not withdrawing troops from the war units; in the remainder of the
15 Territorial Defence, mobilise the headquarters and those units and
16 material goods which can be employed to completely secure the territory
17 and protect the population, without any possibility of surprise; all
18 persons of military age and citizens whose wartime assignment and place of
19 reporting have been established are to report to their respective
20 mobilisation areas after receiving their callup papers, while those
21 persons of military age and citizens without wartime assignments, are to
22 report to the military departments, secretariats for national defence, or
23 to their local communes.
24 "3, in effecting the shift to the wartime operation in social
25 communities and economic and other organisations, their competent services
Page 5855
1 and organs shall take the following steps: Ensure communications
2 according to priorities; determine and ensure priorities in the supply of
3 food, oil derivatives, energy and other requirements; organise and provide
4 continuous production in the new circumstances.
5 "4, presidents of municipal Crisis Staffs shall be responsible for
6 the implementation of this decision and for the implementation of this
7 decision, they are given all authorisation.
8 "5, this decision shall come into force on the day it is issued.
9 It will be published in the Official Gazette of the Autonomous Region of
10 Krajina.
11 "Secretary of the national defence, secretariat of the Autonomous
12 Region of Krajina, Lieutenant-Colonel Milorad Sajic.
13 "Number 03-282/92. 4 May 1992, Banja Luka."
14 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you, may we then turn to page 5 of the
15 same documents where we can find conclusion number 4.
16 THE REGISTRAR: "Number 4: At its meeting held on 8 May, 1992,
17 the Crisis Staff of the Autonomous Region of Krajina reached the following
18 conclusions:
19 "1, presidents of the national defence council are to supply
20 detailed information to the war staff of the Autonomous Region of Krajina
21 about mobilisation in their municipalities.
22 "2 the distribution of oil products and consumer goods is to be
23 placed under the control of the National Defence Councils.
24 "3, presidents of the national defence councils are to report to
25 the war staff of the Autonomous Region of Krajina" --
Page 5856
1 MR. KOUMJIAN: Your Honour, I think after point 3 the only
2 relevant point would be number 9 on this document.
3 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Then please go to number 9 immediately.
4 THE REGISTRAR: "Number 9: All war plans in Krajina enterprises
5 must be analysed and approved by the National Defence Council of the
6 relevant municipality or the war staff the Autonomous Region of Krajina.
7 "All management posts in enterprises must be held by persons
8 absolutely loyal to the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina."
9 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. Then page 13, conclusion number 6,
10 here I understood limited to point 5.
11 THE REGISTRAR: "5, we appeal again to the presidents of the
12 National Defence Councils to take steps to disarm paramilitary formations
13 and individuals who illegally own weapons and ammunition.
14 "The weapons should be turned over to the nearest public security
15 station by 1500 hours on 11 May, 1992 at the latest.
16 "Firm action shall be taken against those who refuse to return
17 weapons."
18 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Just for the record, it is allegedly a document
19 from 9 May, 1992, and allegedly signed by the president of the Crisis
20 Staff, Radislav Brdjanin.
21 Then page 15, 7 from the beginning until the end of number 5.
22 THE REGISTRAR: "7: At a session held on 11th of May, 1992, the
23 Crisis Staff the Autonomous Region of Krajina reached the following
24 conclusions:
25 "1, the deadline for the surrender of illegally acquired weapons
Page 5857
1 has been extended to 14 May 1992 at 2400 hours.
2 "The deadline by which all weapons were to be handed in expired
3 today and has been extended at the request of citizens of all
4 nationalities. This decision was explained by the wish for the weapons to
5 be returned in a peaceful manner and without police intervention.
6 "After the deadline expires, weapons will be confiscated by
7 employees of the Security Services Centre of the Autonomous Region of
8 Krajina, and severe sanctions will be imposed on those who ignore the call
9 of the Crisis Staff.
10 "2, the classes in all primary and secondary schools in the
11 Autonomous Region of Krajina shall end by 20 May 1992 at the latest.
12 "3, JNA organs are to return immediately all military records to
13 the relevant municipal national defence secretariats.
14 "4, the work of the Crisis Staff of the Autonomous Region of
15 Krajina is given full support.
16 "5, all work plans of Krajina enterprises must be analysed and
17 approved by the National Defence Council of the relevant municipality or
18 by the war staff of the Autonomous Region of Krajina.
19 "Management posts in Krajina enterprises must be filled by persons
20 who are absolutely loyal to the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and
21 Herzegovina."
22 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. Also this document is allegedly
23 signed by Radislav Brdjanin, president of the Crisis Staff.
24 MR. KOUMJIAN: I'm sorry, Your Honour, I think point number 6 is
25 relevant. I'm sorry if I didn't indicate that before. Just ask that be
Page 5858
1 read.
2 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Also point 6.
3 THE REGISTRAR: "6, all able-bodied men aged between 18 and 55
4 years who have fled from the Autonomous Region of Krajina, must
5 immediately return to their municipalities and help their fellow citizens
6 in the fight against the enemy.
7 "Ignoring the above-mentioned calls shall result in a ban on the
8 return of the said individuals to their homes, that is, to the area of the
9 Autonomous Region of Krajina, and the confiscation of all their property,
10 both moveable and immoveable."
11 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you.
12 Then may we turn to page 21, conclusion 12 from the beginning
13 until the end of number 2.
14 THE REGISTRAR: "12, at a meeting of the Crisis Staff of the
15 Autonomous Region of Krajina held on 18 May, 1992" --
16 THE INTERPRETER: Please slow down when reading the document.
17 THE REGISTRAR: Sorry about that.
18 "On 18 May, 1992, the following conclusions were reached:
19 Conclusions:
20 "1, a delegation of the Autonomous Region of Krajina, consisting
21 of Vojo Kupresanin, Nikola Erceg, Milorad Sajic, and Stojan Zupljanin is
22 to go to Pale and hold talks on defining the territory towards Semberija.
23 "2, the Crisis Staffs are now the highest organ of authorities in
24 the municipalities.
25 "3, Illegally obtained weapons will be taken away by members of
Page 5859
1 the municipality and civilian police."
2 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you.
3 MR. LUKIC: Your Honour, would it be for point 5 to be read out,
4 please.
5 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: No doubt. Please continue until we have
6 concluded point 5.
7 THE REGISTRAR: Should I continue with point 3?
8 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Yes.
9 THE REGISTRAR: "3, I illegally obtained weapons will be taken
10 away members of the military and civilian police.
11 "4, all formations that are not in the army of the Serbian
12 Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina or the Banja Luka Security Services
13 Centre and are in the Autonomous Region of Krajina are considered
14 paramilitary formations and must be disarmed.
15 "All those who are not part of the armed forces of the Serbian
16 Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina or its police must return their
17 weapons.
18 "5, members of other nationalities living in these areas must come
19 to the defence of their centuries-old homesteads under the banner of the
20 Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina because peace must be the
21 common interest."
22 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you for this. And thank you for on the
23 direction of the Defence that we could hear this in the context.
24 Following the list before me, there would be nothing additional,
25 no additional document which would be necessary read out because it was
Page 5860
1 either read out in its entirety or in the portions in the presence of the
2 one or other witness. But the OTP may let us know if they are interested
3 in reading out any other documents. From our point of view, as regards
4 Lists 2, 3, 4, 5, the work is done.
5 May we then -- yes, please.
6 MR. KOUMJIAN: I just wanted to give the Court and Defence counsel
7 notice of the schedule, at least at the moment, because we have been -- it
8 has been changing hour by hour. Right now, for next week, we have number
9 22 who we anticipate will testify Monday and Tuesday. And number 59 for
10 Wednesday and Thursday.
11 Also, we have a report which we are going to disclose today. It's
12 from one of the experts that we've had on our list to testify, the
13 demographer. This report, however, is -- it's Witness number 77. It's an
14 in-house expert. The report was actually prepared for the Keraterm case.
15 It concerns, though, the municipality of Prijedor. We have asked the
16 demographic unit to update that because it's based upon data that's a
17 couple years old. And we have been waiting somewhat to update it because
18 of new data coming from two different sources. One is the book of missing
19 persons. We're supposed to get an electronic copy update of their data.
20 We were supposed to get it at the end of June, but it has not arrived yet.
21 And secondly, we were also waiting for the information from the exhumation
22 at Jakarina Kos where about 300 bodies were exhumed. So I have asked her
23 to update that report in regards to the number of people missing and
24 killed in Prijedor in 1992. However, the Keraterm report also includes
25 information on population displacements, in other words, changes in the
Page 5861
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Page 5862
1 percentages of different ethnic groups, based upon data available in 1991,
2 1993, 1995, and 1997. Obviously, the most relevant is 1993, but the most
3 accurate data would be from 1997, which was when there were elections
4 held.
5 What I've asked her to do is we're going to take that data from
6 the Keraterm report which we'll disclose today and try to make that into a
7 small report so that she can testify this month regarding the population
8 changes. Regarding the people missing, the total number of people missing
9 and killed in Prijedor in 1992, that report won't be ready this month, but
10 I hope to use our time this month, I hope to have her testify regarding
11 the population displacements. That will be a short testimony in July.
12 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. I understand that it will be
13 distributed now? May the usher please distribute the document.
14 MR. KOUMJIAN: Sorry, we have the copy for the Defence only today,
15 although I have an extra copy. We have two copies. We can give it later
16 to the Chamber.
17 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you.
18 MR. KOUMJIAN: And we have this translated into French.
19 JUDGE SCHOMBURG: Thank you. "Merci beaucoup."
20 Any other observations by the Defence? It's not the case. Let's
21 hope that we have witnesses available next week. For the reason of the
22 upcoming plenary of the Judges, the trial stays adjourned until next
23 Monday, 2.15.
24 --- Whereupon the hearing adjourned at
25 1.45 p.m., to be reconvened on
Page 5863
1 Monday, the 15th day of July, 2002,
2 at 2.15 p.m.
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