Trial of SAJ commander: Lješković sick

The start of the trial of the suspended commander of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit, Radosav Lješković, has been postponed again, this time due to the accused's poor health.

Lješković's defense attorney, lawyer Zdravko Begović, submitted to judge Željka Jovović the report of a specialist doctor for Lješković, stating that he has health problems.

Even the police witnesses, who were duly summoned, did not appear today.

The judge commented "what disrespect for the court".

Begović, however, also had an excuse for them, stating that Lješković informed them that it would not take place, so they did not come due to official obligations.

"All of them will appear at the next hearing," said Begović.

The trial will most likely begin on November 11.

Lješković was accused of covering up members of the SAJ, who brutally beat citizens on October 24, after the DF protest was broken up.

He is being tried for a criminal offense - providing assistance to the perpetrator after the crime has been committed.

He faces a prison sentence of three months to five years, if proven guilty.

According to the indictment, it was undisputedly established that on October 24, in several locations, the Sajovics illegally used means of coercion against the citizens, who suffered physical injuries.

"As an elder, Lješković helped those members to remain undetected to this day, although according to the law he was obliged to implement certain procedures. Not only did he not implement them, he agreed with the members of that unit to cover up all the facts related to their actions in specific events," the prosecution stated.

For eleven months, the SAJ members who brutally beat Mijo Martinović, Andrija Račić, Marko Rakočević, Darko Šćepanović, Branimir Vukčević, Momčilo Baranin... have not been identified.

Lješković said earlier that it was not possible to identify the policemen who participated in that event, because all members of the SAJ were wearing masks and helmets.

Although the video of the beating of Martinović shows that there were many more of them, only two ended up on the dock and they are being tried for torture in connection with serious bodily injuries and destruction and alienation of other people's property.