Karajic: A man with an immobilised arm

Protected witness C told the Court that, in December 1994 he spent four days in a school building in Todorovska Slapnica, in Velika Kladusa municipality, where “a man, whose arm was immobilized” was the chief, claiming, at the end of his testimony, that this man was indictee Suljo Karajic.

One of the ten counts in the indictment against Suljo Karajic describes the abuse and taking away of witness C. The indictment charges the former member of the Fifth Corps with the Bosnian Army with unlawful capture, murder and inhumane treatment of civilians, who were detained in the school building in Todorovska Slapnica.

The witness said that “the man, whose arm was immobilized,” and another uniformed person brought him to the school building. Before bringing him there, the unknown soldier had beaten him up in his house in Todorovska Slapnica.

“They took me to Husein Dzaferovic’s office, where a few other people were beaten up by policemen. The man, whose arm was immobilized, gave orders as to who should beat the prisoners,” witness C recalled, adding that the man hit him in his head with a bat.

Husein Dzaferovic, also known as Zvizda, was commander of the Civil Protection Unit in Todorovska Slapnica. The indictment mentions him as one of Suljo Karajic’s accomplices.

The witness said that, following the “examination”, he begged Dzaferovic to let him go, but he responded by saying that “Suljo Karajic, as commander of the police, was the only person who could do that.”

As indicated by witness C, during his stay in the school building he had to do “whatever someone would tell” him to do. Among other things, this included guarding a few men in the detention room. The witness said that “members of Suljo Karajic’s police” used to take away and physically abuse the men, adding that Muhamed Dzebic died in that room, after having been beaten up. 

“He was lying there, all deformed. His arm and leg were twisted. We were not able to fully straighten his arm. One floor below, there was a doctor who used to take care of the wounded. I called him, asking him to give us some injection. He said: ‘I treat people at this floor and Suljo Karajic does it upstairs. I must not give anything to anyone on that floor,” the witness recalled.

The protected witness said that, after having been released from the school, he used to see “the man with an immobilized arm” on the front lines, where he had to carry the wounded, as member of the Civil Protection Unit. 

“He was a good fighter, an extremely good fighter for Bosnia and Herzegovina. I even think I once carried him from the front lines, when he was wounded. Suljo Karajic was the man with an immobilized arm. I do not hate him. I wonder what had led to all this,” witness C said.

Before testifying at the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, witness C gave a statement to the State Prosecution and two statements to relevant authorities in Bihac. Prosecutor Vesna Ilic asked him why his statements, given in Bihac, “were not as straightforward” as the one given before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“I did not trust those people in Bihac. I gave one statement, which was read to me by Mahmut Abdic later on, while we were shepherding together. Them when they invited me for the second time, my statement was scant. People say: ‘If you say anything against Suljo Karajic, you become a national traitor,'” the witness explained.

The trial is due to continue on July 10.