His lawyers confirmed at the opening of the defence case in October last year that Krajisnik would appear to give evidence and face cross-examination.
Defence sources suggest it could take “up to two months” to hear Krajisnik’s testimony. The defence case is due to be completed by the end of April.
Krajisnik, leader of the ruling Serb Democratic Party, SDS, in the Republika Srpska, is charged with genocide, as well as a series of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war, for his alleged part in a campaign to drive the non-Serb population from large parts of Bosnia and Hercegovina in 1991 and 1992.
The indictment against him lists dozens of facilities where Bosnian Muslim and Croat detainees were tortured, beaten and often killed.
Krajisnik’s defence lawyers have argued that their client had little knowledge of or direct control over events on the ground, which were mainly in the hands of highly independent local authorities.
Tomislav Savkić, former SDS deputy in the assemblies of both Bosnia and the Republika Srpska, testified this week in support of the defence argument that Muslims were making preparations for the war in Bosnia, rather than Serbs.
Although Savkić was brought to The Hague to describe how “the local Serbian government acted autonomously” in their relations with the leadership of the SDS, the prosecutor used his cross-examination to confront the witness with specific SDS orders about the division of Bosnia.
The documents, named “Six strategic goals” and “Options A and B”, also concern taking over power in municipalities that the SDS claim were Serbian.
The witness replied he had never heard of these documents before he came to The Hague.
When he was then confronted with transcripts from sessions of the Bosnian Serb assembly where he was present – and where “Options A and B” and “Six strategic goals” were discussed by Krajisnik and the former president of the Republika Srpska, Radovan Karadzic – the witness answered that during those discussions, he was “probably out of the room”, and that he couldn't absorb everything that happened during the sessions.
Defence sources suggest it could take “up to two months” to hear Krajisnik’s testimony. The defence case is due to be completed by the end of April.
Krajisnik, leader of the ruling Serb Democratic Party, SDS, in the Republika Srpska, is charged with genocide, as well as a series of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war, for his alleged part in a campaign to drive the non-Serb population from large parts of Bosnia and Hercegovina in 1991 and 1992.
The indictment against him lists dozens of facilities where Bosnian Muslim and Croat detainees were tortured, beaten and often killed.
Krajisnik’s defence lawyers have argued that their client had little knowledge of or direct control over events on the ground, which were mainly in the hands of highly independent local authorities.
Tomislav Savkić, former SDS deputy in the assemblies of both Bosnia and the Republika Srpska, testified this week in support of the defence argument that Muslims were making preparations for the war in Bosnia, rather than Serbs.
Although Savkić was brought to The Hague to describe how “the local Serbian government acted autonomously” in their relations with the leadership of the SDS, the prosecutor used his cross-examination to confront the witness with specific SDS orders about the division of Bosnia.
The documents, named “Six strategic goals” and “Options A and B”, also concern taking over power in municipalities that the SDS claim were Serbian.
The witness replied he had never heard of these documents before he came to The Hague.
When he was then confronted with transcripts from sessions of the Bosnian Serb assembly where he was present – and where “Options A and B” and “Six strategic goals” were discussed by Krajisnik and the former president of the Republika Srpska, Radovan Karadzic – the witness answered that during those discussions, he was “probably out of the room”, and that he couldn't absorb everything that happened during the sessions.
