Oric Handwriting Expert Chosen

Dorijan Kerzan, a handwriting analyst from the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, was called to the courtroom and asked to prepare a report on the authenticity of ten prosecution exhibits which are alleged to bear the signature of the accused.



The documents are of particular importance because they are military orders which, if found to be signed by Oric, would confirm the prosecution’s charges that he exercised command over the Srebrenica Territorial Defence, TO, during the war in Bosnia.



Oric is accused of leading Muslim fighters in a string of attacks on over 50 Serb villages in the Srebrenica region in the early stages of the Bosnian conflict.



The defence, however, have consistently argued that the contested documents, which supposedly date from 1992 and 1993, may have been forged after the fall of Srebrenica to Serb forces in 1995 and were not signed by their client.



In order to make his analysis, Kerzan was provided with samples of Oric’s signature to use as a comparison. Presiding Judge Carmel Agius also asked Kerzan to check the documents for signs of “tampering”. The expert said that he could be ready to present his report in court by March.