CONVICTED SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MOMIR NIKOLIC TESTIFIED AT TRIAL OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL MILORAD TRBIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 2,2008) - Testifying at the trial of Serbian war criminal Milorad Trbic, the convicted Serbian war criminal Momir Nikolic, former member of the genocidal paramilitary fascist formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS), said that, in July 1995 he was involved in "helping (forcibly) transport about 30,000 Bosnian civilians from Bratunac to Kladanj",during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

After having concluded a guilt admission agreement with him, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), sentenced him to 20 years' imprisonment for crimes against Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica. Serbian fascist testified, via video link, from Finland, where he is currently serving his sentence.

He said he was not aware of Trbic's role in the mass murder of Bosnian civilians in Srebrenica, adding that he did not even know him "until his arrival at The Hague".

The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges Serbian war crimianl Milorad Trbic, with genocide and participating in the forcible resettlement and mass murder of Bosnian civilians from Srebrenica,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

In the course of his testimony Serbian war criminal Momir Nikolic did not want to confirm the Facts and Guilt Admission Statement, which he signed at The Hague. In the mentioned Statement he admitted having been the direct coordinator of detention of Bosnian civilians and their forcible transportation to Kladanj" in July 1995.

"I was not the commander. Brigade Commander Vidoje Blagojevic was the chief. The fact that I was a chief is not sufficient for charging me on the basis of my command responsibility, " Serbian war criminal Nikolic said.

The Hague Tribunal sentenced Serbian war criminal Vidoje Blagojevic, to 15 years' imprisonment for war crimes committed in Srebrenica,during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia..

Serbian war criminal Momir Nikolic confirmed that, on July 12, 1995 he was present in front of "Fontana" Hotel in Bratunac, where "General Ratko Mladic met Bosnian representatives and UNPROFOR, after having taken Srebrenica, in order to discuss the transportation of civilians to the territory controlled by the Bosnian Army".

"On that day I saw colonel Vujadin Popovic. He approached me and said that I would have to help others transport the civilians. He said some bad things about Bosnians, claiming that they all ought to be murdered. His words sounded eerie," Serbian war criminal Nikolic recalled.

Serbian war criminal Vujadin Popovic is currently at The Hague, where he is being tried for the mass murder of Bosnian civilians in Srebrenica and the Bratunac area,", while Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic, former commander of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS),who is charged with Genocide by the ICTY, is still on the run from justice.

As stated by Serbian war criminal Momir Nikolic, on July 13 he had yet another chance to talk to Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic in Konjevic polje, where he "safeguarded the road, which he was going to take".

"After I had reported to Mladic, I asked him what we should do with a large number of detained Bosnians, who were standing there. He just made a quick wave with his hand. I realised that this meant that those people were all going to be murdered," the convicted Serbian war criminal Momir Nikolic stated.

The trial of Serbian war criminal Milorad Trbic is due to continue before the Bosnian State Court on September 8, 2008.
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