Former Director of the Republic Center for Research on War, War Crimes, and the Search for Missing Persons, Milorad Kojić, stated that Judge Sena Uzunović, a member of the Court of BiH, was a former member of the so-called Army of BiH, serving as an assistant commander. He claims that she was deliberately placed in a position to judge the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.
“From Judge Sena Uzunović’s biography, it is evident that she was a member of the so-called Army of BiH, serving as an assistant commander. Afterward, she held a judicial position in the court in Konjic, which raises legitimate suspicion that she cannot be impartial and was deliberately placed in a position to judge President Milorad Dodik,” said Kojić.
Kojić revealed that, during his tenure as director, the Republic Center for Research on War, War Crimes, and the Search for Missing Persons submitted information to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH about judges and prosecutors of the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of BiH who performed judicial functions during the armed conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This action aimed to remove those judges and prosecutors who, during the information submission and the war period, performed the same tasks due to the impossibility of being objective and impartial.
As a legal expert, Kojić noted that, considering Uzunović’s biography, there is a legitimate doubt about her ability to impartially adjudicate in the process against President Dodik, and thereby against Republika Srpska.
In the information provided to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, it was pointed out that Uzunović, who was then a prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, served as an assistant commander for legal affairs in the 5th Mountain Brigade of the so-called Army of BiH during the war, as indicated in documents from June 1993.
The Center included a transcript of the statement given by witness Tulić Husnija from the 5th Mountain Brigade of the so-called Army of BiH on June 3, 1993.
It was also emphasized that Uzunović, as a judge, had suddenly appeared in the trial against President Dodik without any prior notice to the defense about the change of the judge.
“We have every right, considering Uzunović’s biography, to doubt that she will make an unbiased judgment in the process against President Milorad Dodik and, consequently, against Republika Srpska,” Kojić emphasized.
The Republic Center reminded us in the information that during the war, Strika was a judge of the District Military Court in Zenica, and documents collected by the Yugoslav State Security Center in 1993 testify to his dishonest actions, where he is accused of falsifying verdicts and manipulating judicial material in fabricated court proceedings against Serbs.
It is mentioned in the same document that he was the president of the panel in the fabricated trial against Serb Boban Krajisnik, to whom he sentenced 13 months in prison.
Further, the document claims that there is substantial evidence of Strika’s involvement in the District Military Court in Zenica during the war, participating in judicial procedures against Serbian civilians. Documents such as judgments against Vlajko Topalović from October 30, 1992, Siniša Topalović from September 28, 1992, Vukan Kuprešak from October 1, 1992, and others were mentioned as evidence.
As the prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, Strika raised charges against Novak Đukić.
In the Court of BiH today, a hearing was held against President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, where the BiH Prosecutor’s Office presented the indictment, and the defense outlined its defense concept, stating that the indictment undermines the sovereignty of BiH. The defense requested the recusal of Judge Sena Uzunović, who appeared in the courtroom instead of Mirsad Strika.
Source: RTRS
