Suva Reka trial: Witness "afraid to testify"

One of the three persons who survived the 1999 massacre in Suva Reka, Kosovo, has notified the court that she did not wish to testify.

Izvor: Beta

Thursday, 05.06.2008.

20:27

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One of the three persons who survived the 1999 massacre in Suva Reka, Kosovo, has notified the court that she did not wish to testify. Witness Vjolca Berisha told the court that she did not wish to take the stand in the war crimes process taking place in Belgrade. Suva Reka trial: Witness "afraid to testify" Natasa Kandic, representative of the victims’ families, told the court that Berisha was in poor health and also in poor mental condition. Kandic notified the court that Berisha’s parents were concerned about her coming to Belgrade in fear that "something might happen to her". Presiding Judge Vinka Beraha-Nikicevic suggested that Berisha’s statement given during the investigation will be read instead. But the defense objected to that, and asked to cross examine Berisha via video link. 46 members of one ethnic Albanian family were killed in Suva Reka shortly after the start of the NATO bombing campaign, on March 26, 1999. Among the victims was one baby, a pregnant woman and one who was 100 years old, the prosecution said in the indictment. A number of Serbian paramilitaries and policemen have been accused of this crime. Apart from Vjolca, her son Gramos and Shireta Berisha, who testified before the Belgrade War Crimes Court, survived the crime. During the hearing today, Judge Beraha-Nikicevic sought explanation from the accused Miroslav Petkovic, whose brother Zoran, also charged, recently suffered a heart attack, about the threats he made to the members of the council. She read Petkovic’s letter, in which he wrote that "some of the members of the court council could end up on his hit list", but that, “thank God [his] brother is feeling better”. The defendant explained that when he wrote the letter, he was suffering a mental breakdown. The next trial continues on June 30.

Suva Reka trial: Witness "afraid to testify"

Nataša Kandić, representative of the victims’ families, told the court that Berisha was in poor health and also in poor mental condition.

Kandić notified the court that Berisha’s parents were concerned about her coming to Belgrade in fear that "something might happen to her".

Presiding Judge Vinka Beraha-Nikićević suggested that Berisha’s statement given during the investigation will be read instead. But the defense objected to that, and asked to cross examine Berisha via video link.

46 members of one ethnic Albanian family were killed in Suva Reka shortly after the start of the NATO bombing campaign, on March 26, 1999. Among the victims was one baby, a pregnant woman and one who was 100 years old, the prosecution said in the indictment.

A number of Serbian paramilitaries and policemen have been accused of this crime.

Apart from Vjolca, her son Gramos and Shireta Berisha, who testified before the Belgrade War Crimes Court, survived the crime.

During the hearing today, Judge Beraha-Nikićević sought explanation from the accused Miroslav Petković, whose brother Zoran, also charged, recently suffered a heart attack, about the threats he made to the members of the council.

She read Petković’s letter, in which he wrote that "some of the members of the court council could end up on his hit list", but that, “thank God [his] brother is feeling better”.

The defendant explained that when he wrote the letter, he was suffering a mental breakdown.

The next trial continues on June 30.

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