THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, May 29 (Hina) - Protected witnesses for the prosecution, known only under their codes, B-1775 and B-1455, on Thursday testified in the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic at the Hague-based U.N. war
crimes tribunal about Serb war crimes in eastern Bosnia.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, May 29 (Hina) - Protected witnesses for the
prosecution, known only under their codes, B-1775 and B-1455, on
Thursday testified in the trial of former Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic at the Hague-based U.N. war crimes tribunal
about Serb war crimes in eastern Bosnia. #L#
B-1775 described how, being an undertaker, he had gathered and
buried the bodies of some 100 Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) killed in
Zvornik and surrounding villages in the spring and summer of 1992.
All of those killed were men aged between 25 and 65, said the
witness. He also described how he had taken part in burying and
transferring bodies to conceal the crimes in other locations.
Under one count in the indictment, Milosevic is accused of the
murder of 15 Bosniaks and Croats in Zvornik, 55 Bosniaks in
Drinjaca, 110 in Karakaj, 190 in a nearby slaughter house and 30 in
Celopek.
During his cross-examination, instead of countering the
accusations, Milosevic spoke about crimes by "Muslim extremists"
in Serb villages near Zvornik. Witness B-1775 mostly agreed with
Milosevic's statements.
Witness B-1455, who had been imprisoned by the Serbs, spoke about
the attack of ex-Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) reservists and local
Serbs on his Bosniak-populated village of Drinjaca, as well as
about the imprisonment, beating and killing of villagers at the
local Culture Centre and primary school in May 1992.
The trial continues next week.
(hina) lml sb