SERBIAN WOMEN WERE THROAT-CUTTERS AROUND SREBRENICA

Serbian and Bosnian Serb Women Participated in Attacks and Massacres of Bosniak Civilians Around Srebrenica in the first months of 1992-95 war

Vesna Krdzalic from Beli Manastir and Dragica Mastikosa from Novi Sad used knives to stab and cut throats of the Bosnian Muslim civilians around Srebrenica. Both women died in the Serb Army during attacks on the Bosnian Muslim villages in the area. Many Serb women volunteered to serve in the genocidal army and inflict pain on the Bosnian Muslim civilians in and around Srebrenica, and neighbouring districts of Bratunac, Vlasenica, Rogatica and Visegrad. Now, Serbian propaganda parades those women as "victims", but they were nothing but monsters who took part in the ethnic cleansing and massacres of unarmed Bosniak civilians. Here is an excerpt from the trial of Naser Oric mentioning some of the names of those female Serb warriors:

MS. VIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Could I have the usher's assistance in showing the witness another new document. This is a document by the 1st Bratunac Brigade dated 24 March 1993, number 04359361. It's title is, again, "transport of bodily remains."

Q. Witness, I will quote this brief document to you. "On the 23rd of March, 1993, the identification of the bodily remains of the fighters who got killed on the 29th of May, 1992, in the village of Sandici, municipality of Bratunac, was carried out, namely, Vesna Krdzalic from Beli Manastir, Dragica Mastikosa from Novi Sad." And, Witness, could you tell the Trial Chamber where the towns of Beli Manastir and Novi Sad are situated?

A. Having been in Vojvodina quite often myself, I can tell you that both towns are in Vojvodina, Novi Sad being the capital of Vojvodina.

Q. Is that in Serbia?

A. Yes.

Q. There are two fallen fighters on this list here who are women. Prior to these events in Sandici, did you learn anything about these women or not?

A. Yes, I have. I learned about these women far earlier because there was stories about them having killed people in the Vuk Karadzic school in Bratunac and in Glogova because there was a man who came across the woods there and saw women killing people with knives.

Q. What did he tell you? Where did these women commit these murders with knives?

A. In Glogova itself.

Q. Was Azem present when these women got killed? Did he see their bodies in Sandici?

A. Yes. He asked to be accompanied by his neighbour to go over there and see whether he could identify them. However, when he came down there and realised that these were in fact the two women that he had seen in Glogova, he was terribly frightened and even ran away from the spot.

JUDGE AGIUS: Yes, Ms. Sellers.

MS. SELLERS: Your Honour, I'm clear when he says "was Azem present," was that something that was being suggested to the witness or if that refers to previous testimony.

JUDGE AGIUS: Yes. I think it's a very legitimate question, Ms. Sellers. Yes, Ms. Vidovic.

MS. VIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Your Honour, may I respond? The witness mentioned and probably -- I don't know if it entered --

JUDGE AGIUS: The problem as I see it, because I do recall having heard -- although I'm following the transcript in English, I do recall having heard the witness mention the name. So that's probably -- it's a problem of interpretation. But I would rather have the witness address this directly than you, Ms. Vidovic, to deal with it. What I want to know, sir, is how come you just decided to mention this Azem? Has the name been suggested to you by Madam Vidovic? Or had you mentioned the name before Madam Vidovic repeated the name? In other words, who informed you or who spread the rumours that these women had killed people in the Vuk Karadzic school in Bratunac? Who had told you about this?

THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] I was told about this by Azem Rizvanovic because he was closer to Bratunac than I was and there was stories there about women killing people in Bratunac. And apparently the same thing happened in Glogova, and he was in the group where the two women were. He managed to escape the group and went across the woods in Ocenovici and reached Urkovici. I was there in Urkovici as he reached the place, and he was so afraid that he wanted all of us to run away from there. However, we convinced him to stay in Urkovici. He in fact stayed until the attack itself. After the attack, he asked to be allowed to go over there to take a look at the women to see if he could recognise them. As he reached Lolici and saw them there, he was so afraid that he fled because he was so afraid of them as if they were still alive.

JUDGE AGIUS: Yes. Ms. Sellers, shall we close the -- this issue here?

MS. SELLERS: Yes. Thank you, Your Honour, that's clear.

JUDGE AGIUS: I am satisfied.

MS. SELLERS: So am I.

JUDGE AGIUS: And also because I understand a little bit of the language and I do recall having heard him mention the name Azem. No, it's not transcript, but now we have the explanation.

MS. SELLERS: Absolutely fine.

JUDGE AGIUS: That's why I found your intervention very pertinent and very legitimate to start with. Yes, Ms. Vidovic, let's proceed.

MS. VIDOVIC: [Interpretation] I wish to thank Madam Sellers. Could this document please be assigned a number. I'm not sure about the last one.

JUDGE AGIUS: No, we haven't assigned a number to it as of yet. This document, which consists of two pages with ERN 04359361, one in B/C/S and one in English, being the direct translation thereof, is being marked as Defence Exhibit D914.

MS. VIDOVIC: [Interpretation] Could the usher please show the witness another document, which is issued by the Bratunac Brigade dated 2nd January, 1993, bearing the number 04359310, and the title is "the list of women volunteers who volunteered on the 15th of May, 1992, to provide help to the Army of Republika Srpska, that is the Bratunac Brigade."

Q. Witness, please take a look at the document. The list starts with the platoon commander, Vladanka Petrovic, and later there are 26 more names. The text below the list states: "Commander of the women's platoon, Vladanka Petrovic, handed over her duty of platoon commander to Janja Ostojic who was deployed in this brigade and has been there since 15 May, 1992. Vladanka Petrovic assumes another duty to meet the needs and obligations of the brigade." Witness, please look at the list first and tell us whether you recognise any of the persons listed herein. Please look at the name under number 3, Nada Milanovic?

A. Yes, this person hails from Kravica.

Q. Look at number 17, Slavica Kojic?

A. Slavica Kojic is from Kajici.

Q. Is Kajici also a hamlet of Kravica?

A. Yes, it is. Do you find it unusual that the Serb army should have had women as its members? Do you find that unusual?

A. Nothing was unusual to us. We knew that whoever was able-bodied, even those of an advanced age, were members of the Army of Republika Srpska.

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