Bastah et al: Last time together

Mirsada Zekic in Vlasenica in June 1992 lost ten members of her family who have not been buried yet. She testified about their last meeting during the trial of Predrag Bastah and Goran Viskovic in front of the BiH Court in Sarajevo.

”On the 6th of June 1992 I saw my father for the last time. My brother disappeared on that day as well. In Piskavice (Vlasenica), my husband’s three brothers stayed and I never saw them again,” stated Zekic.

For the crimes committed in the Vlasenica municipality area, the BiH Prosecution holds responsible Bastah, former member of reserve police and Viskovic, former member of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS).

In accordance with the indictment, Bastah and Viskovic with ”their acts and their stimulation they contribute in strengthening the camp system functioning, mistreatment and persecution,” in the Susica camp and in other prisons in Vlasenica as well.

Mirsada and her family were ”arrested by the VRS” on 6 June 1992, take them in Piskavice and after that to the Susica camp in Vlasenica where they stayed for three days. In Susica, as she stressed, she saw soldiers in ”mottled uniforms” and people in blue uniforms which ”guarded the doors”.

Protected witness 5 gave a statement as well but from another room due to additional protection measures assigned by the Court. He stated that the indictee ”were one of the most defamed, conducting tortures throughout the city,” and that both of them were members of the police.

The witness stated how he saw the indictee on 21 April 1992 in police uniforms in Vlasenica square where all of the Bosniaks were summoned by a proclamation in order to submit their weapons.

”During these days impossible things were happening in Vlasenica, interrogations, beatings. I still remember how Serb volunteers guard and police occupied my neighbour’s house. I have seen indictee entering the house and 15 to 20 minutes later house was set on fire,” stated witness 5, who left Vlasenica on 15 May 1992.

He also said how he lost around 15 members of his family.

The Prosecution on this hearing also heard witness Luka Prodanovic who stated its not known to him what happened with his first neighbours, the Salaharevic family but he heard from his wife Rajka that they are ”killed or they moved away”.

He also stated that its not known to him on whether his wife talked about this with the Berbic family from Sarajevo.

During one of the previous hearings, Jasminka and Damir Berbic gave a statement as a Prosecution witnesses. They stated how certain Rajka told them that she ”saw with her own eyes” Predrag Bastah together with another soldier killing Hasan and Zumra Salaharevic, Jaminka’s parents.

Another four Prosecution witnesses will give their statements on the next hearing set for 12 January 2009.