30 May 2013 - ICTY

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1669. The Trial Chamber has also received documentary evidence regarding the participation
of Šešelj’s volunteers in operations in and around Skelani in cooperation with Stevanović,
Mrkšić, and Frenki “Stamatović” (which the Trial Chamber understands to refer to
Simatović).
1670. In an interview published in Velika Srbija, Branislav Vakić stated that on 13 January
1993, Šešelj asked him to assemble 50 “Chetnik” volunteers to be dispatched to Skelani.
Ljubiša Petković warned Vakić in Belgrade that on the Skelani front he would be under the
command of the Serbian MUP. Vakić arrived in Bajina Bašta on 17 January 1993. There,
MUP special forces commander Radojica Božović demanded that Vakić subordinate a
number of his volunteers to Božović’s command, which Vakić refused. Vakić went to Skelani
and joined the TO under Major Ilić. In Skelani, he was joined by around 150 volunteers from
Serbia. He frequently went to the Serbian MUP special forces staff, where he met
Commander Obrad Stevanović and his deputy Frenki “Stamatović”. On one occasion, a
Serbian MUP bus took Vakić to Bajina Bašta, where he met Stevanović and “Stamatović” and
the Serbian MUP special forces war staff to discuss an offensive towards Srebrenica. During
this meeting, “Stamatović” warned Vakić that he was under his command and that he should
take his 500 men to attack in the direction of Srebrenica with JNA artillery support. Major
Mile Mrkšić was appointed commander of the joint TO-Serbian MUP forces in Skelani.
Minister Sokolović provided Vakić’s “Chetniks” with weaponry, winter clothing,
ammunition, and a transmitter for communication with MUP Staff and the artillery at Mount
Tara. Following the offensive in the direction of Srebrenica, Vakić sent half of his men home
on buses provided by the Serbian MUP and they were awarded a Serbian MUP scroll of
honour. After his departure from Srebrenica on 25 May 1993, at a meeting, “Stamatović” and
the camp commander known as Pupe suggested to Vakić that only the fittest volunteers would
wear police uniforms and receive additional training at the training centre on Mt. Tara, near
Užice, Serbia, after which they would be sent to the front. 3317
1671. On 11 November 1993, during a press conference, Šešelj showed a letter of thanks that
Branislav Vakić, an SRS member and commander, had received from the Serbian MUP
Special Purposes Unit, signed by Franko Simatović on 25 May 1993. The letter thanked
Vakić for the cooperation and success during the fight for freedom of the Serbs in the
Bosnian-Serb Republic, and was issued after the fight near Skelani. 3318
3317 P1053 (Interview with Branislav Vakić, by Nikola Dinić and Dragoljub Stamenković), pp. 13-18.
3318 P1443 (Transcript of press conference with Šešelj, 11 November 1993), p. 5.
Case No. IT-03-69-T 590
30 May 2013