Vasic: The indictment in the Milosavljevic case is based on the testimony of a single witness who lacks credibility

Attorney Dejan A. Vasic stated after the trial of Gavrilo Milosavljevic from Istok, who is accused of war crimes, that the defense sought to demonstrate that the indictment is based solely on the testimony of a single witness who, according to Vasic, is completely unreliable, while the rest of the indictment is essentially irrelevant to the accused.

"Today were the opening statements, and the prosecutor presented some of his arguments, which are already contained in the indictment against Gavrilo Milosavljevic. He accused him on two counts of war crimes that allegedly occurred in the Dubrava prison. The accusations include participation in the killing of 108 detainees, those serving sentences in that prison, the wounding of more than 100 people, and the mistreatment of those held in the prison,” Vasic said.

Vasic also added that the defense presented its opening statement.

“In our opening statement today, we tried to explain in a few words that this indictment is based solely on the testimony of a single witness, who is completely unreliable, and that the rest of the indictment is essentially irrelevant to the accused,” Vasic stated.

He further emphasized that during today's hearing, he aimed to highlight the personal circumstances of the accused.

“I explained that he returned to Istok, tried to reclaim his apartment, and attempted to find the remains of his mother, but was unsuccessful. He was arrested just at the moment when he was finally issued a possession certificate, which made him the official owner of the apartment he planned to return to with his family. I tried to convey to the court that this trial is being conducted in the name of the people, in the name of all citizens of Kosovo, and that the heavy burden, as we say in Kosovo, this ‘aram’ the court takes upon itself, is not just on the souls of the members of the court panel, but on the soul of the entire people of Kosovo,” Vasic said.

After the opening statements, one witness was heard today. However, during his testimony, the witness stated that he did not know Milosavljevic in 1999, nor does he know him now.

The next hearings are scheduled for October 30 and 31, and November 4, at 9:30 AM.