Galić's defense: snipers did not target civilians
General Stanislav Galić’s defense presented its appeal at the Hague Tribunal.
Tuesday, 29.08.2006.
18:13
Galić's defense: snipers did not target civilians
The prosecution, which has also appealed the verdict, claimed that the VRS Sarajevsko-Romanijski Corps have under Galić’s command for two years, from 1992 to 1994, conducted a systematic campaign of terrorizing the civilians in Sarajevo, using artillery and sniper strikes, in order to break their resistance.However, another member of Galić’s defense team Stefan Pilleta-Zanin, refuted the prosecution’s claims that it has in fact proved that the incidents in Sarjevo where civilians died were a consequence of General Galić’s intention to attack the civilian population. According to him, legitimate military targets were often close to the civilians, and Sarajevo authorities did nothing to protect them, although they were obligated to.
Pilleta-Zanin said that contrary to the first-instance chamber’s conclusion, it was never proved that the shell that hit the Merkale market in February 1994 and killed 60 civilians came from a VRS position. The defense also rejected claims that Galić’s subordinates conducted a sniper campaign against the Sarajevo civilians, saying that Galić’s corps was note even issued with sniper rifles.
Speaking on behalf of the prosecution, Michelle Jarvis said it was a proven fact that Galić’s forces attacked the town randomly, without differentiating between the military and civilian targets, conducting an organized campaign of terror. “During 23 months, Galić’s forces conducted psychological warfare against the Sarajevo population which also had grievous physical consequences. They conducted an organized campaign of terror, shelling and sniping, with the goal of forcing the Muslim civilians to give up fighting for Sarajevo”, the prosecution stressed.
She went on to describe Sarajevo as “a horror theater”, reminding of the testimonies by the international observers who during Galić’s trial agreed there was an undeniable intent on the part of the Sarajevsko-Romanijski Corps to crush the resistance by terrorizing the population. “The message they broadcast to the civilians was that they were never safe”, Jarvis said.
General Galić was sentenced to 20 years in prison in December 2003, by a verdict passed by the Trial chamber presided by Judge Alphonse Orie, with Judge Nieto-Navia appending his separate and partially dissenting opinion, disagreeing that the campaign against the civilians was proven to have been deliberate. Judge Fausto Pocar’s Appeal chamber will pass the verdict on the defense’s and prosecution’s appeals at a later date.
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