Second Srebrenica Genocide Trial Concludes

After nearly two years, the second trial for genocide committed in Srebrenica in July 1995 has concluded before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

After a 20-month trial in the case of Milorad Trbic, former deputy head of security of the Army of Republika Srpska's Zvornik Brigade, accused of genocide committed in 1995 in Srebrenica, the Trial Chamber has concluded the presentation of evidence. 

The State Prosecution will deliver its closing argument on August 24, while the defence will do the same two days later, on August 26.

According to the indictment, between July and November 1995, "as part of a joint criminal enterprise with other members of the army and police of Republika Srpska", Trbic participaden in the execution of more than 7,000 man in Srebrenica.

At the final hearing, the prosecution included another five pieces of material evidence in the record. These arose from the hearing on June 22, 2009, during the examination of experts Rifet Kesetovic and Cheryl Katmatzyk.

The evidence included details of the testimony of Kesetovic and Katmatzyk, a group of photographs of exhumed remains from mass graves, and a Red Cross missing-persons form.

Davorin Jukic, chairman of the Trial Chamber, explained that the Court had decided "ex-officio" to include in the records material evidence used in the Hague Tribunal during the examination of witness Vinko Pandurevic, obtained by the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The complete testimony of Vinko Pandurevic, former commander of the Zvornik Brigade of the Army of Republika Srpska, who recently testified in his own defence before the Hague Tribunal, was included in the notes at the request of Trbic’s defence, after Pandurevic refused to testify before the State Court.

The Hague prosecution charges Pandurevic, along with six other former Bosnian Serb army and police officers, with war crimes in Srebrenica.

Trbic is the most senior army official on trial in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Srebrenica genocide. His trial began on November 8, 2007.

Initially, Trbic was named in the same indictment as the seven Bosnian Serb army and police officers who are currently on trial in The Hague, but his case was separated in June 2006, to be transferred to Sarajevo a year later as part of the UN Security Council's exit strategy for the Tribunal.

Trbic surrendered voluntarily in 2005.

From the BIRN Justice Report