Kurtovic: Denying Allegations

The Defence evidence presentation in the trial of Zijad Kurtovic has got underway with the direct examination of the indictee.

In his testimony, Kurtovic said that he “did not come anywhere close to the church” in the time period covered by the indictment. But the indictee admitted that he was in the vicinity of the church before the mentioned events “to fill up the tank with gas and to collect ammunition”.

“I heard that some people were captured in Donja Dreznica. First I thought they were captured somewhere close to the frontline, but I heard, later on, that they had been brought from some other place,”
said Kurtovic, adding that this was the only thing he knew about the case.

Kurtovic is charged with having maltreated 20 Croatian prisoners, both civilians and soldiers, in the All Saints church in Donja Dreznica in October 1993. The indictment alleges that, at that time, he was commander of the Military Police Squad with the Dreznica Independent Battalion of the Army of BiH.

Kurtovic said that an HVO unit was situated in the rectory near the church prior to the start of the conflict between the Army of BiH and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO).

“At that time it was used as a barracks,” Kurtovic said. “There were soldiers in it, this is where fuel was poured, and food packages were stored near the church”.

He said that the HVO left the rectory a day or two before May 9, and that the food, which was kept in the church, was stolen in the following days.

When asked by the Defence why the Prosecution witnesses had said he had maltreated them, Kurtovic responded: “They pointed in my direction, as I was sitting next to you. This is normal.”

Kurtovic considers that one possible reason why the Prosecution witnesses claimed he was the one who had maltreated them could be the fact that he set the Croatian flag on fire on two occasions – in 1990 and after the war.

“Maybe it was because of Mirko Zelenika and his daughter Anita,” Kurtovic went on.

Mirko Zelenika was one of the prisoners in the church in Donja Dreznica, and appeared as the first Prosecution witness at this trial.

“She was 15 and some guys drove her to Dreznica, but Mirko blamed me. It was not me, as I did not have a car at the time,” said Kurtovic, without giving any further details on what happened to Anita Zelenika.

Kurtovic also spoke about his whereabouts starting on the evening of September 30 until October 10, 1993. He told the court which military operations he had taken part in, and with whom, as well as where he stayed overnight and who was with him. He said that, after a military operation, he headed towards Mostar on October 6 and returned on October 11. He indicated where he slept over and who was with him during those days.

Kurtovic claims that, in the course of September, October and November 1993, Senad Pezic was commander of the Section for Physical Security of the Staffs, i.e. the military police squad of the Dreznica Battalion. “I took over the duty in early December 1993”.

Cross-examination was postponed until January 24, due to the illness of Prosecutor Vesna Tancica. At the today’s hearing, the Prosecution of BiH was represented by Prosecutor Mirko Lecic.