Bosnian Serb refuses to testify at genocide trial before UN war crimes tribunal
A former security and intelligence officer in the Bosnian Serb army refused to testify today in the genocide trial of his commander at the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up in the wake of the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s.
A former security and intelligence officer in the Bosnian Serb army refused to testify today in the genocide trial of his commander at the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up in the wake of the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s.
Dragomir Pecanac faces contempt of court charges after failing to comply with a subpoena ordering him to give evidence in the trial of Zdravko Tolimir, who was an assistant commander in the Bosnian Serb army and reported directly to its leader, Ratko Mladic.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) issued a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Pecanac late last month and he was subsequently transferred to the custody of the UN Detention Unit in The Hague, where the tribunal is based.
Making an initial appearance today in his own contempt of court case, Mr. Pecanac did not enter a plea. All accused in contempt cases must enter a plea within 10 days of their initial appearance.
Later today, during the ongoing trial of Mr. Tolimir, Mr. Pecanac refused to testify as a witness, the tribunal said in a press release.
The trial of Mr. Tolimir – who is charged with genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, extermination, murder, persecutions, forcible transfers and deportations – continues. The charges relate to a series of events during the Balkan wars, including the notorious massacre of thousands of Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in July 1995.