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Muhamed Hurtic, a former detainee in the “Kula” Penal and Correctional Facility, near Sarajevo, claims that detainees were sometimes beaten by the guards, but “it was not much and we got used to it”.
“At some stage drunk policemen. They forced all of us out of the room and had us stand in the corridor. They beat us with their feet, fists, sticks…There were not many serious injuries. Having a broken nose did not mean much to us. Basically, nobody had to go to the hospital. We forgot all about it the following day,” Hurtic said.
During his detention in Kula, from December 1992 to the spring of 1994, indictee Soniboj Skiljevic was the Manager. Hurtic claims to have seen him very often, but, “out of fear”, he did not report to him what was going on.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Skiljevic and Radoje Lalovic with crimes committed in Kula, where detainees stayed in “inhumane conditions”. They were taken to other locations to perform forced labour. The indictment alleges that Lalovic was the Facility Manager until the end of 1992 and Skiljevic was his Deputy. From December 1992 until the end of 1995 Skiljevic took over the Manager function.
“We were in danger every time we left Kula. We were taken to other locations to perform labour, like digging trenches at the front lines and performing some construction or agricultural works. Some people were killed while others were wounded while doing those,” Hurtic said, adding that “a Serb soldier” killed detainee Kasim Hurtic in front of him.
The witness said that the soldier, Goran Gavric, came while they were performing some work in Mojmilo, Sarajevo Municipality, adding that he had a sniper rifle. He took out a gun and asked the detainees “which one of them was not scared of dying. Then he fired a bullet”.
“I saw Kasim in agony. Soldier Srdjanm who had spoken to us before, was there as well. He asked Goran what he had done. We dressed Kasim’s wound….We put him in some vehicle, but it was too late. I know that a detainee buried him,” Hurtic said, adding that he was wounded as well while performing some labour.
Describing the conditions in Kula, the witness said the “food was poor”. He said he thought that they were given day-old leftovers.
“I am not sure if we had any mattresses when we were first brought there. We did have blankets, but I cannot remember if there were other things. I know that at some stage we were given beds,” the witness said, adding that “there was no heating at all”.
In the beginning, detainees were not even allowed to leave the room to do their needs, but the guards took them out “when they wanted to”.
Prior to having been brought to Kula, Hurtic, who came from Grabska, near Doboj, was detained in Batkovici detention camp, near Bijeljina, in Manjaca, Stara Gradiska and in a few smaller buildings. He was arrested on May 10, 1992.
The trial is due to continue on June 4.
