Tolimir enters plea on Monday

Tolimir enters plea on Monday

B92 has learned that the former Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) general arrested Thursday in the Republic of Srpska was residing in Serbia and had two strokes prior to the arrest as RS police captured him as he tried to cross the border to reach Bratunac in the Republic of Srpska.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) brought charges against Tolimir in February 2005, accusing him of genocide, associating to commit genocide, murder, exile and forcible dislocation of Srebrenica Muslims in July 1995.

During the Bosnian war, Zdravko Tolimir was in charge of Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) chief of staff intelligence operations and was one of the closest aides of former VRS general and Hague fugitive Ratko Mladić.

RS police deputy chief Dragi Milošević told the press that Tolimir was in poor health and that prior to the transfer to the Hague he underwent medical tests in Sarajevo.

President of the National Hague Cooperation Council Rasim Ljajić could neiter confirm nor deny whether Tolimir had been hiding in Serbia before the Thursday arrest.

Tolimir’s name comes up in ongoing Srebrenica trial at Hague

The trial of Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) officers charged with the 1995 Srebrenica genocide continued Friday as former VRS CoS Manojlo Milovanović took the witness stand.

Prosecutor Peter McCloskey presented a document signed by Zdravko Tolimir in which he allegedly advised VRS general Ratko Mladić to annihilate Muslim refugees and use chemical substances in the offensive against Žepa.

The indictment says that Tolimir gave the document to indicted general Radivoj Miletić who was supposed to deliver it to Mladić.

“We believe that Muslims would surrender sooner if the refugees were destroyed,” the Prosecutor quoted Tolimir’s alleged suggestion, at the same time asking the witness whether he thought killing of refugees was allowed.

“I have no idea what Tolimir was thinking while writing this… Of course it is not allowed to do so… Even when the Army intercepts a column of refugees it cannot open fire. Muslims would frequently use refugees as a shield,” Milovanović responded.

Prosecutors McCloskey then asked the witness about the part of the document that mentioned “chemical substances” used in Žepa attack.

Milovanović explained Tolimir’s remark was probably related to the use of tear gas, adding that “Tolimir could not have given such an order.”