ICTY: Praising The Mujahadins

On the second day of his testimony at the trial of Rasim Delic, witness Aiman Awad said that the “Al Mujahadin” unit, to which he belonged, coordinated its actions with the Army of BiH.

“The first operation started on May 27, 1995. The BiH Army Third Corps Staffs made decisions concerning the military operation’s goals,” said Awad, adding that before and after each operation representatives of his unit and BiH Army held preparatory meetings.

Rasim Delic, who was commander of the General Staffs of BiH Army (ABiH) from June 1993 to September 2005, is charged, on the basis of command responsibility, with a number of crimes committed, among others, by members of the “Al Mujahadin” unit in central Bosnia area. Most members of the unit were foreign volunteers.

Syrian-born Aiman Awad is testifying as a Prosecution witness in the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) case against Delic. His testimony is being heard in Sarajevo due “to the specific circumstances of the witness”. The Commission for Revision of Citizenships has stripped Awad of his BiH citizenship and he is now facing deportation.

Awad told the Court that, after the establishment of the unit in August 1993 until its dismissal in December 1995, he worked as the unit’s translator and “coordinated” relations between the unit members and the Army of BiH.

Awad said that, on July 21, 1995, he saw three prisoners who had been captured during a military operation conducted in Zavidovici municipality.

The indictment against Delic mentions an attack on Krcevine village, when several members of the Republika Srpska Army (VRS) were captured and taken to Livade village and then to Kamenica detention camp, where they were maltreated and two of them were killed and beheaded.

“I saw an Arabian escorting two prisoners. I told him to take them to the gathering point in Livada village. I signed a document ordering their handover to military police, but I did not participate in their exchange. I do not think that any other prisoners were taken during that military operation,” the witness said.

Awad also spoke about the military action conducted in September 1995, which is mentioned in the indictment against Delic. The ICTY’s indictment alleges that, in mid September in the Vozuca area, “about 60 people, mainly VRS members, were captured, together with a few civilians, including three women”.

These people were detained, held and maltreated in an improvised prison in Zavidovici municipality area.

The indictment further alleges that, between September 11 and 17, members of the “Al Mujahadin” unit killed most of the prisoners.

According to Awad, the three military operations mentioned in the indictment against Delic had Arabian names determined by the unit’s press centre.

“The first was called “Al Feth” – clear victory. The second was named “Al Karma” – a supernatural thing, because the unit members conquered a large area in a very short time, they captured a tank and the enemy soldiers left the frontlines,” Awad said.

The third operation conducted in Vozuca area in September was called “Farz”, “but the unit members also called it ‘Bedr Bosna’, which means conquering Bosnia”.

The witness denied that any prisoners were taken in the course of that operation.

Awad said that he “and his commander” were in Vozuca on September 10 and again a few days later when Alija Izetbegovic, the late former president of BiH, visited the soldiers. He met Izetbegovic again in Zenica in late December, when the dismissal of the “Al Mujahadin” unit was discussed.

“He informed us that the unit would have to be dismissed and all foreign soldiers would have to leave the country as a result of the Dayton Agreement. Apart from Izetbegovic, the meeting was attended by Rasim Delic, Sakib Mahmuljin, Abu Maali and Sheikh Enver,” Awad said.

“Abu Maali and Sheikh Enver tried to talk Izetbegovic out of that idea, by telling him that the Army of BiH was making progress and that the Dayton Agreement may have not been good after all. However, he said that the agreement had to be signed and that the war had to be stopped,” the witness explained, adding that, following the dismissal of the unit, all weapons were handed over to the Third Corps of BiH Army.

According to Awad, following the dismissal, a farewell dinner was held in Zenica “on the occasion of the Mujahadins’ departure from BiH”.

While he was talking about this, the witness started crying, so the trial was briefly interrupted.

“Members of the unit and BiH Army were there. Rasim Delic was present as well. Abu Maali reminded the participants why the Mujahadins came to BiH originally. He also said that there would come the time when people would say that the Mujahadins were terrorists, criminals and that they wanted a cold-blooded war. In the course of the evening, Delic expressed gratitude to the unit,” Awad recalled, adding that “the atmosphere was cheerless, as the Mujahadins came to Bosnia hoping to die for Allah, but someone interrupted their mission”.

During the cross-examination, Defence attorney Vasvija Vidovic asked the witness if the unit members had their own weapons. The witness answered affirmatively.

He also confirmed that, during the war in BiH, there were several groups of Mujahadins who did not belong to the “Al Mujahadin” unit. He also said that “those who could not get used to the discipline” used to leave the unit. Awad said that the actions committed by some of them “still cause him a headache”.

The cross-examination is due to continue on Sunday, February 10.