Mejakic et al: Beaten to Death in Keraterm

Prosecution witness Anto Tomic has testified, via video link, from Germany, where he has been living after leaving Ljubija in Prijedor municipality during the war.

Tomic has told the Court how the detainees in Omarska and Keraterm camps were tortured, but he has also spoken about the participation of the four indictees in daily maltreatment of detainees during 1992.

“Duca visited Keraterm frequently,” said the witness. “The first time I saw him was when I arrived at the detention camp. He and one more guard entered room number two and he said: ‘Today I shall not beat the ones standing in front, but those standing in the back’.

“Then they went to room number three and also took between 15 and 20 people out. We heard screams and moans, and, later on, we saw some beaten detainees covered with blood and bruises,” said Tomic, who was brought to Keraterm, together with 12 men from Ljubija, on 14 June 1992.

The Prosecution of BiH charges Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo “Ckalja” Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Dusko “Duca” Knezevic, with having participated in rape, murder, beating and torture of Bosniaks and Croats detained in Omarska and Keraterm detention camps.

“Duca was about 35 years old, his height was between 175 and 180 cm. He was a big and strong man. He was dressed in a gray-olive military uniform,” Tomic claims.

The indictment alleges that Knezevic occasionally visited Keraterm and took part in the beating and maltreatment of detained Bosniaks and Croats.

Witness Tomic has recalled that Duca and Zoran Zigic beat up detainee Drago Tokmadzic, who later died from injuries caused by the beating.

“One night Duca, Zigic and a few more guards called Tokmadzic, Esad Islamovic and some other detainees out. Duca and Zigic gave orders to the others, and we could hear them beating these people. And it sounded painful. I have never seen Tokmadzic again,” Tomic has said.

In February 2005 the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) sentenced Zoran Zigic, known as Ziga, to 25 years imprisonment for crimes committed in these camps.

Tomic has pointed out that Zigic was a guard in Keraterm detention camp, but he also spent some time detained in room number four “for having released a detainee”.

“I remember when we were transferred to room four that we saw his canvas and some other staff. Later on we were told that he was detained in that room for having released one person from the detention camp,” Tomic said.

Tomic claims that Jovo Radocaj was also detained in Keraterm, because he “allegedly voted for the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) at the elections”.

“I think he was the only Serb in the camp who was killed for, allegedly, having voted for SDA and Alija Izetbegovic. From a distance I saw his body on a trolley near room four,” Tomic claims.

The witness has not been able to confirm the allegations contained in the indictment that Fustar was one of the three guard commanders. The witness has, however, pointed out that Fustar did “have a function”.

The witness claims to have been brought, together with 115 detainees, to Omarska detention camp on 4 July 1992. He allegedly stayed there until 6 August that year. He claims to have seen “detention camp commander” Mejakic during his stay.

The indictment alleges that, from 24 May to 30 August 1992, Mejakic was commander of Omarska detention camp, in which 3,000 Bosniaks and Croats from the Prijedor area were detained.

Answering defence attorney Dragan Ivetic’s questions during cross-examination, the witness has pointed out that a water tank used to come to Keraterm detention camp every day to supply the prisoners with water. He has also said that the detainees were allowed to walk freely within the camp and that some were taken to a hospital to get medical assistance.

Omarska detention camp was closed at the end of August 1992, following a visit by foreign journalists. Some prisoners were then transferred to Manjaca, while others were sent to Trnopolje. On 6 August Tomic was transferred to Trnoplje, which he left on 17 August 1992.

The trial is due to continue on 11 October, when the Prosecution of BiH shall start presenting material evidence.