Uncategorized @bs

Kujundzic: Nothing but the truth

9. July 2008.00:00
A protected Prosecution witness speaks about the participation of Predrag Kujundzic's units in the mistreatment of Bosniaks in "Percin disko" and Bukovacke Civcije village.

This post is also available in: Bosnian

A former detainee in “Percin disko” detention camp testified under the pseudonym of 16 at the trial of Predrag Kujundzic. He said that the indictee and members of his unit participated in the cruel beating, sexual abuse and use of Bosniaks as human shields.

“Predo’s Wolves came to Bukovacke Civcije village on June 12, 1992. They asked who was the owner of a local shop. When I said the shop was mine, they ordered me to unlock it. They started beating me, asking for money. Reading from some list, they called out a neighbour of mine and asked him to give them money. When he said he did not have any, they forced us to have oral sex,” witness 16 said. The public was in another room during the course of his testimony.

Predrag Kujundzic is charged, as commander of “Predini vukovi” (“Predo’s Wolves”) Unit, with having participated, among other things, in the attack on Bukovacke Civcije village in 1992 and 1993, as well as with having captured the village residents, and their detention and mistreatment in “Percin disko”. Those detainees were also used as human shields.

Witness 16 said that, after having been captured, he was taken, together with other residents, to “Percin disko” detention camp. Some time later he was transferred to “the hangars, near Bosanka,” where he stayed for 10 days.

“Then they transferred us from the hangars back to ‘Percin disko’, by trucks. ‘Predini vukovi’ members took 50 of us to a location, where we were used as human shields, on July 12, 1992. I did not see Predo on that occasion,” the witness recalled.

This witness said that he knew Predrag Kujundzic by sight, adding that, as far as he knew, he was “commander of ‘Predini vukovi’ unit”, which consisted of “about 50 people.” According to him the Unit acted as a special unit attached to the police.

The witness said that, on July 19, 1992 “all members of Predo’s Unit” came to “Percin disko”, where they beat detainees with “chains, rods, sticks..,” and sexually abused and tortured them.

“I remember them ordering a man to jump on his head and the man did that. Predo and a blonde woman came there that day. The woman participated in the beating as well,” the witness said.

Witness 16 left the “Percin disko” detention camp “in late August or early September” 1992, when he was transferred to a detention camp formed in “Bare warehouse.” He was released “on May 1, 1993”.

At the beginning of his testimony the witness asked the Defence and indictee to act “in a correct manner, now and later,” adding that he had come to the court “to prove the truth.”

“I think that, by telling the truth, I shall help the indictee and this country,” witness 16 said.

The trial is due to continue on Friday, July 11.

This post is also available in: Bosnian