Klickovic et al: The start of war in Bosanska Krupa
The first Prosecution witness speaks about the arrival of armed Serbian soldiers in late April 1992 and about the attack on Bosanska Krupa.
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Hasim Djulic, first Prosecution witness at the trial of three senior officials of the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS), spoke about the start of the war in the Bosanska Krupa area and the mass resettlement of the Serbian population in April 1992.
The indictment alleges that, at the time Gojko Klickovic was commander of the Crisis Committee of the Serbian municipality of Bosanska Krupa. The State Prosecution charges him and Jovan Ostojic and Mladen Drljaca with crimes against the non-Serbian population committed in Bosanska Krupa municipality.
Djulic, former commander of the Territorial Defence (TD) in Bosanska Krupa, said that the area was attacked for the first time on April 21, 1992 and that some citizens informed the TD Staff about the approach of Serbian soldiers and their deployment in the direction of Lipik.
“When the attack commenced, all types of infantry and aviation arms were used. A non-selective shelling of Bosanska Krupa, in which the TD warehouse was the only military object, then started,” the witness said, describing the first days of the attack.
The indictment alleges that, in the course of several days of artillery and infantry attacks conducted by the Serbian forces, which, in reality, were commanded by Gojko Klickovic, at least 28 civilians were killed and 46 were wounded.
“Most Serbs moved out on weekends. Just before the attacks, you could see fully loaded cars leaving Bosanska Krupa,” the witness recalled.
Djulic said that he was not aware of the order, allegedly issued by indictee Klickovic, which referred to the “evacuation of the Serbian population” from certain parts of Bosanska Krupa.
As indicated by Djukic, indictee Klickovic, who was president of the SDS Executive Board in Bosanska Krupa, sent a letter, in April 1992, asking for the distribution of weapons belonging to the former Yugoslav National Army (JNA). In that letter, he expressed his concern over the dismissal of Serbian workers from the TD Municipal Staffs.
“This was not true, as the Serbs continued to be members of the Staffs until the attack on Bosanska Krupa started. However, after April 15, one of them told me that they had received instructions from the SDS not to come to work any more. Later on they came to collect their personal belongings,” the witness said.
The trial of Gojko Klickovic, Jovan Ostojic and Mladen Drljaca is due to continue on May 14, 2008.
