The trial has been postponed until September 21st. Zoran Gašović, accused of crimes against humanity during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it was announced that three witnesses would be heard at the Podgorica Higher Court.
Opening the main hearing, the president of the special panel of judges Simo Rašović He said that at today's hearing, they planned to hear Mehmed Music as a witness via video link from the BiH Cantonal Court in Sarajevo, but that the main hearing was postponed due to technical problems.
It was explained that the court was unable to "open" the CD and print out 45 pages of consolidated statements of witness Mehmed Music.
The judge introduced the parties to the court proceedings, the special prosecutor Tanja Čolan Deretic, attorney of the injured party Feride Nisic, a lawyer Dalibor Tomović, the defendant's defense attorney Danil Mićović, that before this witness could be questioned, all the statements he gave in The Hague and Sarajevo should be presented as evidence. However, this did not happen because a problem arose.
"The court could not open the CD that the SDT submitted to the High Court, which contains evidence - the consolidated statements of witness Music. In fact, we opened it, but all 45 pages were blank. There was nothing," the judge said.
Special prosecutor Čolan Deretić reacted, pointing out that the court was provided with a flash drive containing the evidence, not a CD. She added that lawyer Tomović opened it.
The judge then stated that, in addition to the aforementioned technical problem, the court has a problem with the minutes of November 8, 1995, which are not entirely legible.
"The court has the record of the statement of witness Mehmed Music from June 16, 1996, but not all the pages. It starts with the first page, then the sixth, and then pages 11, 13, 14 and 15," said Judge Rašović.
"The court's allegations that the consolidated statements of witness Music in The Hague are not in the case files are incorrect, because it is already with my colleague, attorney Tomovic, and the record was handed over to him by the Higher Court. So, the court had it in its hands, and where it is now, let them find it," said special prosecutor Čolan Deretić.
The judge reiterated that the allegations that the CD opens to 45 blank pages without text are absolutely accurate and verifiable. The court ordered the SDT to submit to the High Court in writing the consolidated statements of witness Music, as well as other records that contain deficiencies.
Special Prosecutor Čolan Deretić added that during the review of the indictment, the presiding judge of the pre-trial chamber Nenad Vujanović commented on Music's statements, which, as she assessed, the court had his consolidated statements.
Attorney Danilo Mićović added that the defense has the same problem as the court, because it does not have a comprehensive statement from witness Music.
"The defense is of the opinion that until the defense is provided with all the statements, as stated by the SDT, of the key witness, we cannot proceed with his interrogation via video link," warned Mićović. He added that the defense is not ready to represent the defendant in a quality manner today.
"Everything that is fast, our people say, is also short, and speed affects quality," Mićović pointed out.
Judge Simo Rašović informed the BiH Cantonal Court in Sarajevo via video link that Mehmed Music will testify on October 12. By then, the defense will be provided with certain minutes that it has not received.
Moved, enslaved, participated in murders
In the indictment, special prosecutor Tanja Čolan Deretić, among other things, alleges that defendant Zoran Gašović carried out resettlement, enslaved Bosnian Muslims and participated in murders.
This, it says, happened from June to December 1992, when a systematic attack was carried out by the army of Republika Srpska and paramilitary formations.
Gašović is charged, among other things, with having protected 49 Bosnian Muslims who were taken to the barracks in Lukavica, 48 of whom are listed as missing.
According to the indictment, in December 1992, he assisted in the forced relocation from Hadžići to Vogošća, in which he actively participated.
The captured civilians were taken to the Hadžići municipality police station and the so-called garage. It is alleged that he tortured Zaim Bećirović for a month, and after questioning, punched him, causing him to lose consciousness.
He allegedly beat and tortured Avdo Hisović with a baton, as well as Alija Bašić, Adil Bećirović, Šefko Music, Mehdi Ibrahim and Smail, and threatened to kill Ekrem Hasković.
It is alleged that he beat Mujo Music, while on May 20, 1992, he locked Armin Bećirović in a garage and hit him with a pistol, rifle and baton.
He also enslaved Suad Music without any legal basis, all on the basis of religion and nationality.
He put a knife to the throat of one of the injured women, tore her shirt and raped her while she was pregnant.
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