TUZLANSKA KAPIJA MASSACRE SURVIVOR AMEL MEHMEDOVIC TESTIFIED AT TRIAL OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL NOVAK DJUKIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (June 11,2008) - The Bosnian State Prosecutor examined yesterday Amel Mehmedovic (born in 1971), who survived the Tuzlanska kapija massacre in May 1995, as a Prosecution witness at the trial of Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic before the Bosnian State Court.

"I saw a flash and then I fell down. I was thrown away. I was disoriented and started crawling. I saw a couple of sliced bodies, two girls without legs... I was injured too. Some guys got me into a car and drove me to the hospital," Mehmedovic said, adding that, as a consequence of the wounding, he is a 70 percent disabled person.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic, as former member of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS) of having ordered the shelling of the Bosnian city of Tuzla on May 25, 1995,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia. One shell hit the downtown area, killing 71 and wounding more than 200 Bosnian civilians.

The witness told the Bosnian State Court that the location, at which he was wounded on that day, was "traditionally a gathering point for young people".

"There were 200 or 250 people there. It was a bright, sunny day. Most young people wanted to go out as there was no shelling on that day. It was the Youth Day, the day of the most horrible tragedy. My brother and my friend were killed, and some other friends were wounded," Amel Mehmedovic said.

Serbian war criminal Ljubisa Corsovic, former deputy commander of the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor's 130mm Cannon Squad, appeared as Prosecution witness.He said that his unit was subordinate to the Ozren Tactical Group and that it could use the cannons "only if the Tactical Group ordered us to do so."

"The orders contained the target number and the number of projectiles. After we had executed the orders, we were obliged to confirm it. The targets were numerical and charted. I could not have known what the targets were. We used some 30-years old maps," Serbian war criminal Ljubisa Corsovic said. Answering the Trial Chamber's questions, he clarified that, most often, the shooting orders were issued by the Tactical Group Artillery Commander, who was known as "Major Omega."

The indictment alleges that Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic ordered the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor's artillery squad, situated in Panjik village on mount Ozren, to shell the Bosnian city of Tuzla, using 130mm cannons.

Serbian war criminal Ljubisa Corsovic added that he was not present on mount Ozren on May 25, 1995. He said he was "in the field somewhere else" and that he "heard about the shelling of Tuzla two or three months later."

The Defence did not want to cross-examine the witness, as it intended to examine him directly as a Defence witness.

The trial of Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic is due to continue before the Bosnian State Court on June 17.
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