Lelek: Murders on the Visegrad Bridge

A protected Prosecution witness, who testified under the pseudonymX, has spoken of the murder of a baby and two women on the Visegradbridge in 1992.

These murders, among other acts, are alleged tohave been carried out by Zeljko Lelek, a policeman from Visegrad beingprocessed for crimes against humanity.

The witness said, “ZeljkoLelek, Mile Joksimovic and Vlatko Pecikoza arrived almost at the sametime at the bridge. Lelek was in a taxi driven by Bosko Djuric”.

“Theytook out two women out of the car, both were in their early 20s, onewas carrying a five to six month old baby. Vlatko grabbed the baby fromher and said ‘Let the baby have some fresh air’. He took it and threwit up in the air. Lelek was holding a knife and caught the little bodyon it,” the witness said, adding that Joksimovic then forced the motherto lick the child’s blood “in order to stop the bleeding”.

Accordingto the indictment, Joksimovic, Pecikoza and Lelek brought twounidentified women to the Mehmed Pasa Sokolovic bridge at the beginningof June 1992. One of the women carried a baby in her hands. After thebaby had been killed, the indictee slaughtered both women.

According to witness X, she watched Lelek killing both women from a distance of five to six metres.

“Therewere a lot of people, but nobody paid attention,” the witness has saidand added that, after these murders, she saw Lelek bringing two men toclean the blood and throw the bodies down from the bridge.

“Firstthey threw away the baby and the the two women into the Drina river.Then they killed the [men who had cleaned up at the murder site] aswell and threw them away.” said the protected witness claiming thatLelek personally killed one of the men, and “someone else” killed theother one.

The witness also claims that, in June 1992, she waspresent when Lelek and Mitar Vasiljevic “were bragging” about their wartrophies.

Vasiljević is serving 15 years prison for crimes comited in Visegrad. He was pronanced guilty by ICTY in 2004.

“Lelektook out a plastic bag which could hold two kilograms. The bagcontained eyes and Lelek said he had taken them out and enjoyed it.Vasiljevic was bragging about spending time and enjoying with a minorgirl in Vilina Vlas,” said the witness.

Pre-war spa Vilina vlasin Visegrad was transformed into a detention centre during the war, inwhich girls, young women and women were raped. Lelek is the firstperson indicted by the Court of BiH for crimes committed in Visegrad.The indictment against him mentioned crimes committed in Vilina vlas.

WitnessX has said that she used to walk “freely” in Visegrad at the beginningof the war, because, although she was a Bosniak she dressed as aSerbian woman – i.e. wore black clothes and a chain with a cross. Sheclaims to have gone to the church as well.

The Prosecution hasalso examined protected witness KB, who has said he knew the indicteeand he saw him during the war wearing civilian clothes or a camouflageuniform of the reserve police forces. KB testified about murder of agroup of men in spring 1992, also charged upon Lelek.

Accordingto the indictment, Lelek and a group of armed men brought at least fourBosniak civilians to the river Drina coast in the village of Sase nearVisegrad on an unknown date in spring of the first war year. Theyforced them to go into the river up to their waists, and then shotthem. The protected witness claims that he watched it throughbinoculars from close vicinity.

“I saw them bringing two olderpeople whose hands were tied. One was wearing a French beret on hishead. They lined them up by the water and forced them to go into thewater. When the water was up to their waist, the men started shooting.People fell down and I was sick from watching it,” the witness has said.

Althoughthe Defence objected, the witness told the Court – with the approval ofthe Trial Chamber – about his meeting with Lelek after the war.

“Iwas with a group of Bosniaks when we went to vote at elections. We metLelek who was also with some other people. He turned towards us andsaid: ‘Have you got the urge to see us? We haven’t. We slaughtered you,killed you, threw you onto Drina, but what else do we need to do sothat you never come back again?’,” the witness has said.

As theDefence was not ready to cross-examine these protected witnesses, theTrial Chamber agreed that this could be postponed until 25 June.