SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS RANKO AND RAJKO VUKOVIC STILL DENY COMMITTING WAR CRIMES IN BOSNIA IN 1990'S

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 13,2008) - Serbian war criminals Ranko and Rajko Vukovic, who are charged with war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia,in Podkolun and Miljevina villages in the eastern Bosnian town of Foca , have testified at their trial before the Bosnian State Court.

The brothers - both former members of the genocidal paramilitary forces of the serbians living in Bosnia (VRS) - told the Bosnian State Court that the allegations in the indictment and the statements made by Prosecution witnesses were false.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges Serbian war criminals Ranko and Rajko Vukovic, with having murdered,together with Serbian war criminals Ranko and Blagoje Golubovic,two Bosnian civilians - Avdija Hukara and Mejra Bekrija in Podkolun village in late March 1992. In addition, Serbian war criminal Ranko Vukovic is charged with having raped a Bosnian woman in Miljevina in July 1992.

"I do not even know who Bajro Hukara is. His name was never mentioned in my house, although he claims that his son and my brother Luka, who disappeared on April 25, 1992, were friends," said Serbian war criminal Ranko Vukovic, adding that his brother's body was eventually found and that he suspected that "Bosnians had killed him".

Testifying as a Defence witness, Kosa Vukovic,the mother of the two Serbian war criminals, also denied these allegations.

Serbian war criminal Ranko Vukovic, who is charged by the second count in the indictment with having committed rape, said he "did not know" the injured party, who testified as a prosecution witness under the pseudonym of A, and alleged that she was "lying".

At the end of its evidence presentation, the Defence presented its material evidence. This included death certificates for Bosnian citizens Avdija Hukara and Mejra Bekrija, which indicate that they died in 1992, without citing the exact date of death.

The trial of Serbian war criminals Ranko and Rajko Vukovic is due to continue before the Bosnian State Court on January 16, 2008, when the Prosecution will examine additional witnesses.