Srebrenica: The Accused Has Clear Conscience

Presenting her closing statement, Vera Lazic, the defence counsel for Jevic, said that the defendant was in the Sebrenica neighourhood of Potocari in July 1995, where he performed police tasks, but that he was not present in front of the hangar in Kravica on July 13 and 14, 1995 when more than 1,000 men were killed.

She said that Jevic did not personally see abuse and murders in Potocari and that nobody reported those things to him.

“On July 13, Dusko Jevic went to Zvornik and then to Bijeljina, where he stayed overnight. He went back to Bratunac  the following day,” Lazic said.

Jevic is charged, along with Mendeljev Djuric, Goran Markovic and Nedjo Ikonic, with genocide in Srebrenica.

The indictment alleges that Jevic was Commander of the Jahorina Training Center of the special police of Republika Srpska, that Djuric and Ikonic were company commanders, and that Markovic was a squad commander.

Lazic pointed out that Jevic received orders from Ljubomir Borovcanin, who was the commander of the joint police forces during the operation conducted in Srebrenica. The Hague Tribunal sentenced Borovcanin to 17 years in prison for crimes committed there.

 “The Tribunal’s verdict states that Borovcanin did not know about the plan to commit murders and that he was not a member of the joint criminal enterprise aimed at forcibly resettling people. If this applies to Borovcanin, it consequently also applies to Jevic, as his subordinate,” Lazic said.

Presenting his closing statement, Jevic said that he was the Manager of the Training Center on Mount Jahorina, adding that it was not a unit, but a training camp.

“While we were in Potocari, we performed the normal police task of guarding civilians during an evacuation, which was organized by UNPROFOR and the Army of Republika Srpska,” Jevic said, reiterating that he was not present in Kravica on July 13 and 14.

According to Jevic, his next task was to help with a search of the terrain. He said that the task was conducted “in accordance with the rules”.

“I did not order any unlawful actions. I did not participate in the planning. Had I committed a crime, I would have been my own judge. My conscience is clear when it comes to the actions described in this indictment,” Jevic said.

The next hearing is due to be held on Thursday, April 5, when the defence for Mendeljev Djuric will present its closing arguments.