“Yugoslav Army was active in Bosnia”

Elite Yugoslav Army (VJ) units were active in Sarajevo in 1993, former high-ranking VJ officer Borivoje Tesic told the trial of Momcilo Perisic. Tesic confirmed yesterday that he had led a special VJ unit, some 100 strong, in the region around the Sarajevo suburb of Vogosca in late December 1993. “Yugoslav Army was active in Bosnia” At the time, Tesic was an operative officer in the VJ’s Guards Brigade. He also confirmed that the VJ’s 72nd Special Brigade had also been active in Vogosca, adding that he had received orders from then Special Corps Chief-of-Staff Ljubisa Stanimirovic to assist in the evacuation of the brigade’s members and the recovery of the corpses of eight special unit members. Tesic said that as commander of the Special Corps, Miodrag Panic had not had the authority to order such a maneuver, which was why he had presumed that the orders had come from VJ HQ. Perisic was VJ chief fof the general staff at the time. Tesic also told the court that VJ officers had sent reports on a daily basis to the VJ’s Special Corps Operations Center. Most of the witness’s testimony has been closed to the public, because of the confidentiality of the documents in question. General Perisic is accused of providing logistical and financial support to both the Republic of Srpska Army and the Republic of Serb Krajina Army, as well as of playing a major role in the siege of Sarajevo, the bombing of Zagreb and the Srebrenica massacre, where over 7,000 people are believed to have lost their lives.

“Yugoslav Army was active in Bosnia”

At the time, Tešić was an operative officer in the VJ’s Guards Brigade.

He also confirmed that the VJ’s 72nd Special Brigade had also been active in Vogošća, adding that he had received orders from then Special Corps Chief-of-Staff Ljubiša Stanimirović to assist in the evacuation of the brigade’s members and the recovery of the corpses of eight special unit members.

Tešić said that as commander of the Special Corps, Miodrag Panić had not had the authority to order such a maneuver, which was why he had presumed that the orders had come from VJ HQ.

Perišić was VJ chief fof the general staff at the time. Tešić also told the court that VJ officers had sent reports on a daily basis to the VJ’s Special Corps Operations Center.

Most of the witness’s testimony has been closed to the public, because of the confidentiality of the documents in question.

General Perišić is accused of providing logistical and financial support to both the Republic of Srpska Army and the Republic of Serb Krajina Army, as well as of playing a major role in the siege of Sarajevo, the bombing of Zagreb and the Srebrenica massacre, where over 7,000 people are believed to have lost their lives.