The trial of Zulfikar Ališpago for crimes in Trusina near Konjic restarted before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina by reading an indictment and opening statements.
The Prosecutor Ljubo Badnjar read the indictment charging Ališpago in his capacity as a commander of the “Zulfikar” Special Unit of the Supreme Command Staff of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose members committed murders of civilians and members of the Croat Defence Council who had already surrendered, in the village of Trusina on April 16, 1993.
The Prosecutor stated that Ališapago, despite knowing his subordinates committed a crime, did not take any measures regarding their punishment.
“We will prove that the accused had real control over the members of the unit,” Badnjar said.
The defence stated that charges against Ališpago are unfounded, and the evidence is inadmissible.
“Except for this tragic event, everything else concerning my client is not true,” said the defense lawyer Sanin Pešto.
He added that the law under which Ališpago was charged does not apply to what is described in the indictment.
Witness Transcripts to Be Included
Presiding Judge Željka Marenić said that during the previous proceedings, 37 witnesses and one expert witness were proposed, all of which, except one, were heard during the trial in the “Memić et al.” case.
“The accused attended the hearing of three witnesses, including his defense counsel at the time,” Marenić said.
After the prosecutor’s proposal, Marenić accepted the inclusion of the transcripts of the heard witnesses into the case file, except for one whose hearing the accused did not attend.
Ališpago Complained About Memory Issues
The accused Ališpago complained about his health, stating he has memory problems and difficulty following procedures. He and his defense lawyer sought an expert evaluation of his fitness to stand trial, which the presiding judge rejected.
“The expert evaluation has been conducted at least 10 times since 2014, and each time you were found fit to stand trial, with some limitations,” Marenić said.
At the beginning, she said that after the previous trial, the Prosecutor addressed the Court regarding a “form of attack” – because the accused wanted to speak to him privately, and because there were “attacks” from the gallery. Marenić warned that addressing the Prosecutor is forbidden, and that, if anything similar happens again from the gallery, she will ban everyone from entering, except the ones whose presence is necessary in the court.
Ališpago apologized for attempting to privately address the prosecutor, and his defense lawyer explained that the accused is a fiery individual with a deep voice, but meant no harm.
Trial Ongoing Since 2010
The indictment against Ališpago was raised in 2010, and he was tried alongside the other defendants in the “Memić et al.” case until 2014, when the proceedings against him were severed. The trial for the remaining defendants was final and bindingly concluded in 2017.
The continuation of Ališpago’s new trial is scheduled for October 2nd, when the hearing of the first witness is planned.
Crime in Trusina
The crime happened on the morning of April 16, 1993, when the members of the “Zulfikar” Special Purpose Unit raided the village. They killed 22 people, 15 of whom were civilians.
For the crime in Trusina, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued final and binding convictions against Edin Džeko to 13 years, Rasema Handanović to five and a half years, Mensur Memić to ten years, Nedžad Hodžić to 12 years, and Nihad Bojadžić to 15 years in prison, N1 writes.
