Lazarevic et al: A father and his son testify

Two Prosecution witnesses, who testified at the trial of Sreten Lazarevic, Dragan Stanojevic, Mile Markovic and Slobodan Ostojic, said that the four indictees guarded them while they were detained in the offence court building and “Novi izvor” factory in Zvornik, where they were detained for a few months.

The State Prosecution charges the four men with having participated in the abuse of Bosniaks, who were detained in the offence court building and “Novi izvor” factory in 1992 and 1993. The indictment alleges that Lazarevic was commander of those detention camps, while the three other indictees were guards. It also alleges that all four were members of the reserve police forces with the Public Safety Station in Zvornik.

A group of soldiers captured Ahmet Omerovic and his two sons on May 19, 1992. He heard that the soldiers were members of “Gogicevci” Unit. They took them to a kindergarten in Zvornik. The witness claims that, after having beaten and abused them, they transferred them to the offence court building, where they were guarded by some persons, who were dressed in reserve police forces’ uniforms.

“Guard Sreten, whose last name I do not know, took our wallets and other personal belongings,” the witness said, adding that “Mile – the waiter” was also there, as well as other guards who they called “Tall Dragan” and “Dragan, the little” and a person named Slobodan, who was a “clerk.” Omerovic said that a person named Sredoje was “commander of the prison” in which they stayed.

As indicated by this witness, the guards did not beat them while they were held in the court building, but “Gogicevci” used to come very often.

“They would come there whenever they wanted to beat us. The guards would unlock the door for them and they would come in and beat us,” the witness said, adding that all guards unlocked the door, but “tall Dragan” did that most often. He recognized him in the courtroom, pointing at indictee Dragan Stanojevic.

According to Omerovic, after having spent fifteen days in the court building, the detainees were transferred to “Novi izvor” building, where they were guarded by the same persons.

“The conditions were worse than they were in the court building. We would voluntarily perform some work in order to get an extra meal and because they would not beat us,” Omerovic said. He claims to have stayed in that building until July 15, 1992.

Ahmet Omerovic identified indictee Slobodan Ostojic in the courtroom. He was not sure if his nickname was “Dragan, the little” or “Slobodan, the clerk.” He also recognized Sreten Lazarevic, but it was only after the indictee had introduced himself.

Unlike Ahmet, his son Mirsad Omerovic, who testified as the second Prosecution witness at this hearing, identified the four indictees as the persons whom he saw in the court building in Zvornik in 1992. This witness said that he and his father and brother were detained in the kindergarten, court and “Novi izvor” buildings.

“While we were in the court building, they did not beat any people in our room, but they would go to other rooms and we could hear them beating those people up,” Mirsad Omerovic said.

The examination of this witness was not completed. He will describe what he suffered during his detention in “Novi izvor” building at the next hearing on May 15.